


Sunshine and Summertime

by sentinel28II



Category: RWBY
Genre: But is still a jerk, Comedy, Crack Relationships, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Harem, Honestly comedy, Multi, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Salem is tired, So much for being a comedy, Summer Rose (RWBY) Lives, and needs a hug, cute fluff, it's a kind of magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:40:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 162,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22556461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sentinel28II/pseuds/sentinel28II
Summary: Summer Rose is dying, having done her best to kill the unkillable.  Salem, however, decides to spare her, as one mother to another.  But there's a catch: Summer Rose will return...13 years in the future.Summer's return will change Remnant, and the story of Team RWBY forever...just not in the way anyone could have anticipated.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Coco Adel/Velvet Scarlatina, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Raven Branwen/Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long, Sun Wukong/Salem, Weiss Schnee/Neptune Vasilias
Comments: 284
Kudos: 264





	1. Witchy Woman

**Author's Note:**

> Gauntlet thrown down, gauntlet picked up. After all the comments on the latest chapter of "Love Hurts" ("Big Love," Chapter 17), in which Ruby and Yang catch Summer, Raven and Taiyang getting reacquainted, as it were, people wanted to know first why Summer was still alive, and then if Taiyang was reforming a harem of sorts. Then the discussion turned to if Yang would get a harem of her own in revenge against Boring Old Dad turning out to be not so boring. 
> 
> The short answer: sure, why not? For everyone who commented on "Big Love"...this one's for you.
> 
> Don't worry. "On RWBY Wings" and "Love Hurts" (and maybe "Tales of Remnant") will continue, though work might slow down a bit on "Love Hurts." I also can't guarantee when I'll update this, but it will be updated, and it will have an end--and it's going to be a lot of fun along the way. It might not seem so at first, but trust me.
> 
> This first chapter was also inspired by the very depressing "The Last Petal of the Rose," but it's got a far, far better ending.

_Salem’s Realm_

_World of Remnant_

_15 Years Ago_

She’d done it, Summer Rose thought to herself. She’d killed Salem. 

She lay against a crystalline rock, her whole body one mass of bruises and blood. Her Aura was long since gone. She was pretty sure that last hit had broken some ribs, one of which had probably punctured a lung, and Summer was pretty sure her leg was not supposed to bend that way. She felt no pain, but she also knew that was shock. Her weapon—a double-edged scythe-spear, that was also a rocket launcher—lay broken beside her. She didn’t feel much better…and it was a long walk back to civilization through a hellscape literally crawling with Grimm. 

Yep, Summer thought, she probably wasn’t coming back from this one. She wanted to cry, because it would be awful hard on her family, but she was so numb at the moment that it was just tears drifting lazily down her face. Still, the sight of the grease spot that used to be Salem, Undead Queen of the Grimm was a rather satisfying last vision. It had taken unleashing her silver eyes with a fury Summer had never known before, every ounce of energy she had and then some, turning her own soul into a battery. And it had worked. It had been worth it, all of it.

As Summer watched, however, the blackened spot that had been Salem suddenly began to glow with yellow energy, the same color as Yang’s hair when she washed it. In horror, she saw a black shadow rise from the glow, become vaguely human, then feminine, then into the ebony-clad, pale skinned terror she’d been fighting for the past hour and tracking for the past five months. 

Salem stared down at Summer with very angry red eyes. She popped her neck and shoulders. “Ouch.”

Summer’s head fell back against the rock. “You have _got_ to be kidding me.” 

The witch stepped forward, then groaned as her knees popped. “Dammit, you. That _hurt._ ”

The Huntress sighed. So it was true, the rumors. “You can’t be killed.”

Salem stopped in front of her. Both of them looked at the witch’s left arm, which hung limply, sickeningly and obviously broken. She rolled her red eyes, took the arm, and straightened it out with the popping of bones. “Unfortunately.”

“Well,” Summer said defiantly, “I can’t kill you. But I _will_ stop you.”

Salem knelt in front of her. “Right now, you couldn’t stop a well-armed troop of Atlesian Girl Scouts.”

Summer coughed. She saw fresh blood spatter her once-pristine white cape. She was too weak to even use her silver eyes again. “I suppose that’s true.” She saw the undead woman’s gray hand raise, and in the center glowed a white globe of magic, the spell that would kill her. Summer tried to straighten up. She was going to die with some dignity. A vision of a a funeral appeared in her mind’s eye: Taiyang and Qrow, in black suits, holding the hands of a confused Yang and Ruby, her children, not understanding that Mommy would never come home. An empty grave. _Thus Kindly I Scatter._ She closed her eyes a brief moment, as she felt the heat of the spell. More tears fell down her face. “Goodbye, my daughters,” she whispered. Tai and Qrow would understand, but Ruby and Yang were too young. Far too young. 

Abruptly, she felt the heat ebb. She opened her eyes, to see Salem staring at her strangely. “What did you say?” the witch asked.

“Just saying goodbye.” Summer saw the blackness at the edges of her vision, and coughed again. More blood, dripping off her chin. She laughed through it. Her own body was going to kill her before Salem would have the chance. 

Salem touched her cheek, her fingers cold. “You have children?”

Summer nodded weakly. As her vision swam and dimmed, Salem was shaking her head, but Summer would never know why. The black curtain fell, as if ringing down the final act of her life.

_I love you, Taiyang_ was her last thought.

Summer awoke. 

The room was purple. She was lying on some sort of soft surface—abruptly, she realized it was a bed of some kind—and the sky above her was purple as well. Then she realized it was a canopy, set over the bed by four purple wood posts, shining with age. The room was warm, and even the air seemed purple. That was odd, she thought. She’d always figured the afterlife would be a bit better lighted. She blinked some more, looked down, and saw in surprise she was completely naked. Instinctively, she tried to move her arms to cover herself, but they were held in place. Turning her head, she saw they were bound in black chains, glowing dimly with magic. Her heels were bound as well. 

_Okay,_ Summer thought to herself. _Let’s take stock here. I’m pretty sure I died back there, given that I was coughing up blood and I had a pissed off undead witch standing in front of me. However, I’m fairly certain that not even the Bad Brother goes in for the bondage scene, and if I’m dead, why do I need to use the bathroom?_ She tried to move a little. The chains gave her a little bit of literal wiggle room, but she was not escaping any time soon. Other than being chained up, however, Summer had to admit she felt fine. Her leg was not at a weird angle, at least. 

The door opened, and Summer’s heart sank. Looking a bit better herself—she was actually drying her hair with a towel—Salem strode into the room. Summer also had to admit that, with her hair down, Salem wasn’t a bad looking woman…other than the red eyes surrounded by pure black, and the spidery reddish-black veins across her neck and face. As usual, the undead witch was dressed in a black cloak. She tossed aside the towel, which floated off to parts unknown, and stared down at Summer. “Ah, you’re awake. Good.”

“I’m not dead.” It was a statement.

“No,” Salem confirmed. “I was going to kill you, but I changed my mind.”

“I’d love to know why,” Summer replied, “but…uh…I really need to pee.”

“Don’t you dare,” Salem snarled. “Those are my best sheets you’re lying on.”

“I’m open to ideas, but you’d better hurry.” Summer looked pained. “Back teeth are setting the special sea and anchor detail, if you get my meaning.”

Salem waved her hands. Summer floated up from the bed, and with more hand waves, was turned vertical and guided through a door that opened and closed by itself. Salem waited, arms folded and bare feet tapping, then opened the door and guided Summer back to the bed, where the chains clanked back into place. “Better?”

“Much.” Summer was still defiant, and made a show of getting comfortable. “So, we were talking about me not being dead. And I’m also curious as to why I’m naked.”

Salem drifted around the bed and sat on the side of it. “Isn’t that obvious?” she said softly, trailing a cold finger from the Huntress’ lips to between her breasts.

Summer swallowed. She’d never been into girls, other than the occasional thought at Beacon when seeing Raven Branwen’s naked form in the showers—but she put that down to clinical interest, a bit of jealousy, and teenage hormones that screamed for anyone’s fingers to go where they needed to go. She didn’t feel turned on in the least, and recoiled from the cool touch. 

“Don’t resist me,” Salem warned, bending down over her. “Give yourself to me, and you will see your husband and daughters again.”

Summer took a breath, thought of her family, and nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Good. Now kiss me, Huntress. Kiss me like you kissed your first lover.”

She nodded again, closed her eyes, and opened her lips. Nothing happened. Then she puckered her lips, wondering what the damn witch was waiting for. Still nothing. Summer opened her eyes, and saw Salem looking down at her, hands covering her mouth. She didn’t know it was possible for those red, horrific eyes to be showing utter mirth, but they were. Finally, Salem burst out laughing, unable to contain it any longer. “By the gods, you _fell_ for that!” She slapped her knee. “You would’ve done it, too! The _look_ on your face! You looked like a fish!”

Summer stared daggers at her. “You really are a bitch.”

Salem’s laughing stopped, and she grabbed Summer’s chin. “Watch your mouth. Your life still dangles by a thread, Huntress.” She got up and stared down at her opponent. “You know, about a hundred years or so ago, I _would_ have screwed you. Actually, if you weren’t a mother, I probably still would. It gets a bit lonely around here, you know.”

“You like girls?” Summer asked.

Salem shrugged. “Huntress, I am well over ten thousand years old. After the first few hundred years, you’re willing to experiment with just about anything.” She sighed, wistfully. “Alas, no one can ever measure up to my first. And that, Huntress…” Salem paused. “What is your name, anyway?”

“Summer Rose.”

Salem looked appreciative. “What a poetic name. In any case—Summer Rose—I have decided to spare your life because you _are_ a mother. Once, a long time ago…I was as well. I had four daughters. They were cruelly taken from me.” Thunder rumbled dangerously in the distance, as Salem’s realm reacted to her moods. Salem reigned in her temper. “Well. Enough of that.”

“I’m all about the surviving thing,” Summer said, “but you’ve killed hundreds of Huntsmen and Huntresses who were fathers and mothers—“

“Hundreds? Try thousands,” Salem corrected her.

“—so why me?” Summer shivered. “And I’m still naked here.”

“And naked you will remain. I have the advantage that way. You are one who needs to be reminded who rules here, and who holds your life in the palm of her hand.” Salem slowly made a fist, and Summer gasped as her heart skipped two beats. “As to why you, and not others…” Salem opened her hand, then got on the bed opposite Summer, and leaned against one of the worn wooden posts. “I’m tired, Summer Rose. Ten thousand years of fighting. Of scheming. Of hatred. And for what? I’m no closer to the Relics or my revenge on Oz—well, I suppose you know him as Ozpin. My children are still dead. I still can’t die. Do you know what I felt when you let loose with those silver eyes of yours?”

“No idea,” Summer replied. She was thinking seriously of repeating the experience for Salem, but then there would still be the problem of getting loose and being naked in the Land of the Grimm. 

“Relief. That maybe, finally, it was over.” Salem rolled her eyes. “And then I just regenerated again. And it’s more painful every time.” Her fingers traced patterns into the covers. “When you said goodbye to your children, well…it hurt almost as much.” She looked up and met those silver eyes. “I won’t lie, Summer Rose. I still hate. I still hurt. I don’t feel remorse for a damn thing, because none of it was my fault. But I’m going to spare you, because honestly, I want this to be over for awhile. I guess you could say I could use a vacation.”

“That makes sense.” Summer kept the soaring hope off her face, or tried to. She was going to survive. Her vision was not going to come true. She was going to go home. But then she sobered. There was always a price. “So what do you want of me? Nothing’s free.”

“Isn’t _that_ the truth.” Salem touched Summer’s ankle gently. “I will send you back to your nearest loved one—and yes, with clothes on. As tempting as it would be to deposit you naked in the middle of Beacon Academy. You will, however, have no memory of how you got to my realm. You’re also not getting that damned weapons of yours back. My left arm still doesn’t feel right.”

“Fair enough.” Summer felt herself getting sleepy. She tried to stop it, but the fatigue weighed down on her like weights attached to her limbs. 

“Don’t fight it,” Salem said. “When you awaken, you will be where you need to be—as I said, nearest to one you love. And as a parting gift of one lonely woman to another, you will burn with passion for the one you love the most of all. You will be uncontrollable until your desire is slaked.” 

“Sounds good…” Summer yawned, and her eyes fluttered.

“Oh, and one more thing.” Through her drooping eyes, Summer saw Salem grin. There was nothing but pure evil in that grin. “You’re going to wake up fifteen years in the future. Because those silver eyes of yours damned well _hurt,_ you bitch.”

Then, once more, everything went black, the last sound in Summer Rose’s ears Salem’s cruel laughter.

Summer awoke.

This time, she didn’t feel the softness of a bed beneath her, but the hard ground. The air was warm, and she felt sun on her face. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and once more tested her arms and legs, and looked down. She was indeed fully clothed, wearing her black battle corset and skirt, her white cape and hood spotless; apparently Salem threw in a free cleaning into the deal. Feeling a bit stiff, Summer sat up, and pulled her hood back. Wherever she was, it was pleasant enough, in a forest glen, trees surrounding her, the air fresh and clean, birds chirping away. It wasn’t Patch; Summer knew the forest around her home by heart. 

Suddenly the birds stopped singing and scattered, taking to the air. Instinctively, Summer tensed up, getting to her feet, into a combat stance. She was completely unarmed—the witch had not even left her with a knife—but Summer wasn’t half bad at hand-to-hand combat. She was no Taiyang Xiao Long, but she could hold her own. 

She saw a large black bird flit through the trees, then land behind one. There was the briefest rustle of feathers, and from behind the tree stepped the form of Raven Branwen.

_My nearest loved one,_ Summer remembered. By all rights, she should utterly loathe Raven, but Summer never could quite bring herself to do so. 

However, Summer had never seen Raven look so stunned in the decade or so she’d known her. The warrior woman had always been pale, but this time she looked like she’d just seen a ghost. Then Summer remembered. Probably Raven was thinking exactly that.

“Raven?” she asked.

Raven drew her sword, Omen, glowing with red energy, but her fingers were trembling, her red eyes wide with a mixture of shock and terror. “What the _fuck_ are you?”

Summer smiled. “It’s me, Raven. Summer Rose.”

“Summer Rose is dead, you miserable bastard!” Raven leveled Omen. “You’d better start talking, fucker!”

“Raven, please. I’m really Summer.” She spread her hands, her mind frantically trying to think of some way to prove herself. It would be the height of irony for Salem to spare her life only to be murdered by her ex-teammate. “I can prove it!”

“Yeah? Start fucking talking!”

“The night we went out drinking. You and I got drunk, and ended up mud wrestling for the right to date Taiyang.”

Raven stepped forward, but was obviously unsure. “Other people know that story.”

“But not that I gave you permission to date Tai after I won!” Summer abruptly remembered what they had said to each other. “You said that he could see right up Main Street, because you’d taken off your panties after I lost mine.”

Omen fell from Raven’s fingers. “Summer?” Her mouth worked. Summer had seen Raven cry exactly twice—the day Taiyang proposed to her, and the day they had married. Now she was going to see a third time. “Summer?”

Summer felt tears on her own face. “Hey, Rae.”

“Oh my gods.” Raven rushed to her and embraced Summer in a crushing hug. All the resentment and hatred felt between two women who had loved the same man fell away, in favor of the remembrance of a friendship once as close as sisters. “Oh my gods. Summer. Summer, you’re alive.”


	2. I Saw Three Ships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer Rose arrives home, accompanied by Raven. To say Taiyang is surprised is the understatement of the century. But Salem is still watching, and this may be part of her nefarious plan...for vacation.
> 
> Wait, what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might be a little bit of mood whiplash. Naturally, the reunion between Summer and Tai is a beautiful thing, but this is meant to be a comedy, so we have some of that mixed in, and the beginnings of some sexy time. Hey, it's been 15 years, and then there's that little spell Salem weaved...

_The House of Taiyang_

_Patch, World of Remnant_

_One Week Later_

_Dad, you’re not cool. You’re boring._

Taiyang Xiao Long could not get his daughter Yang’s words out of his head. He knew it shouldn’t bother him—Yang wasn’t being personal—but it _did_ bother him. She’d said it when he’d called his daughters the night before to discuss plans for them visiting over Beacon’s spring break. 

Tai sighed and leaned back against the couch, resting from morning chores. He supposed that it was true. He didn’t go out on secret, long-range missions like his brother-in-law Qrow Branwen, nor did he have a cool weapon; his Semblance was punching things. It wasn’t flashy, it got the job done, but it wasn’t like a scythe or a sword. Even Yang had those explosive gauntlets of hers. He’d tried being cool for his daughters—running around on skateboards, telling silly jokes, flying drones—to no avail. He’d fallen off the skateboards, his jokes had been condemned as dad jokes, and the drones had crashed. He was going to have to resign himself to the fact that he was Boring Old Dad. His girls loved him, no question: even if they worshiped Cool Uncle Qrow, they thought he was the best dad ever in the history of dads. 

Still, it rankled him. It also reminded him of his greatest failure as a father: not being able to keep one mother, and losing the other forever.

There was a loud knock on the door, and Tai looked up, startled. Zwei barked. Tai levered himself off the sofa and walked to the door. Opening it, he expected pretty much anyone—some of the local folks in Patch, the kid who delivered his newspaper, the nice old lady with the artificial legs that lived down the forest path, even Qrow. Ruby and Yang, but they weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow.

He was not expecting Raven Branwen.

Tai stopped cold at seeing her. It had been at least fifteen years since he’d seen her—at least in her human form, since he was pretty certain he’d seen her in her bird form, surreptitiously checking on them because she was too afraid to do it in person. But there was no doubt it was Raven: she hadn’t changed much. Her hair was still a riot of black that stuck out at odd angles, and in the face that reminded him so much of their daughter Yang, there was still the same haughty, arrogant air that had both repelled him and allured him so much. She was clad in her regular red and black armor. “Hello, Tai,” she said simply.

It took him a moment to find his voice. “What the hell are you doing here?” Zwei, sensing something wrong, growled.

Raven put her hands on her hips and smiled sardonically, ignoring the dog. “Good to see you too, Tai.”

He moved to close the door. “Leave. I have nothing to say to you, Raven.”

“Oh?” She tried to look past him. “Is Yang or Ruby here?”

“What do you care? You abandoned Yang and never cared about Ruby.”

Raven closed her eyes and shook her head. “Look. I was going to try and be nice about this.” She held up a hand to forestall his angry response at that. “I brought you…” To Tai’s surprise, he saw that arrogant look suddenly disappear. Raven’s lower lip trembled with emotion, and there were real tears in those red eyes. Then she took a breath, calmed herself, and continued. “I brought you a surprise.” 

Tai had not opened the door completely. Raven grabbed the door and flung it open all the way. He almost yelled at her for that, but the retort died in his throat when he saw who stood there, hidden by the door.

There, smiling at him shyly, hidden by the white hood that covered half her face, was Summer Rose.

“It…can’t…” Tai fell to his knees in pure shock. He looked from Summer to Raven, whose face was suddenly streaked with tears. “This is a trick,” he said, blubbering. “It has to be a trick.”

It was Summer who answered. She drew her hood back, exposing the short-cut red hair that he thought was so cute. “Tai, it’s no trick. It’s me. It’s really me.” And seeing that he was not going to believe it, she stepped forward, dropped to her knees, and hugged him. “It’s me, Tai. Oh gods, it’s me. I love you, Tai. I love you so much.”

Tai didn’t care if it was a trick now, or some illusion. He brought his arms up, felt the solid back, smelled her hair. Their lips met, and then Tai knew for certain. Somehow, incredibly, he was holding Summer Rose. “H-How…” he stammered.

Summer wiped her silver eyes, those beautiful, lively, wide eyes he loved more than anything, more than life itself. “I went to go fight Salem. I lost. But she didn’t kill me, Tai. Something about me being a mother, and her being tired. She somehow teleported me to Raven’s camp, but the last thing she told me was it would be fifteen years later when I woke up. Salem wanted to punish me…for hurting her. I woke up in a forest clearing.”

“And that’s where I found her,” Raven said, trying to dry her own tears. “A week ago. We’ve been traveling ever since. I couldn’t get word to you, and honestly…I do _so_ like surprises.”

“It’s been almost fifteen years,” Tai said, almost choking. Zwei looked quizzically from Tai to Summer. The new female smelled oddly familiar, the corgi thought, but he did not know her; he had not been born when Summer disappeared. 

“Raven told me,” Summer replied. “For me, it was just a few weeks.”

He kissed her again, the lips so real and moist under his, tasting the saltiness of her tears and his own, the muscles of her back under his hands. “I love you, Summer. Oh gods, I’ve missed you so much. I love you.” Tai managed to gather enough strength and got to his feet, pulling her up with him. “We’ve got to contact Ruby and Yang, and…” He looked past Summer. Raven stood there, her face a sad mask for what might have been. “Thank you, Raven. Thank you so very much.”

The bandit shrugged nonchalantly. “No biggie.” It was a lie, of course, but sardonic humor was her only refuge now. 

Summer brought Tai’s lips back to hers, and this time didn’t close her eyes when she kissed him, meeting his eyes, wanting to be lost in them. And suddenly she heard Salem’s voice in her head: _And as a parting gift of one lonely woman to another, you will burn with passion for the one you love the most of all. You will be uncontrollable until your desire is slaked._

It was like someone had thrown a switch in Summer’s brain. 

Salem sat in her throne, a glass of wine in one hand, her bare feet up on the table, bored out of her mind. The biggest problem with being immortal, she thought, was that often there was nothing to do. She had a library of books to read, the largest on Remnant, but she’d read them all. She could go create some Grimm, but she did that every day; the novelty was pretty much gone. Her plans to destroy Beacon, kill Ozpin, and seize the Relic were in motion, and there was little she could do to affect them. Sometimes Salem wondered if her desire to die and end it all was because she wanted to be with Ozma and her children again, or it was because of sheer boredom.

She looked at her scrying glass, sitting on the table. Her Seer Grimm, which she could use to see and hear anywhere they could see and hear, and communicate with people on the other end. Her scryer, on the other hand, could see anywhere she wanted it to, but she could not hear what was going on. Nor was it entirely reliable. Whereas Grimm were attracted to negative energy, the scryer was attracted to positive energy, and most of the time Salem didn’t want to see people being happy. It had its uses though, because people tended to let their guard down when they were happy.

Abruptly, a soft yellow glow came from the scryer. Salem cocked her head to one side. That was unusual. Her scryer almost always glowed black, sometimes red or purple, but never yellow. _Unless…_ she did some quick mathematical calculation, then Salem’s eyes lit up with unholy joy. “It _is_ this year,” she said to herself. “So, Summer Rose finally made it home.” She drank some of the wine, got to her feet, and yelled out, “Watts!”

Salem’s voice could travel anywhere in the castle, and she waited impatiently for the disgraced Atlesian scientist to arrive, tapping her foot. He finally did, and as he came through the doors to the throne room, he gave a short, respectful bow. “Madame.”

“About time. Listen carefully. You’re going to be in charge here for a few weeks. Make sure Tyrian doesn’t kill too many things, and stay in contact with Cinder.”

Watts raised an eyebrow. “Certainly, ma’am, but where will you be?”

“Vacuo.”

He was surprised at that. “Vacuo? But I thought we weren’t moving on that until after Beacon and Haven.”

“We’re not.” She hesitated, then decided to tell him the truth. “I’m going on vacation.”

Watts was not easily shocked, but that did it. “Excuse me? I’m not sure I heard you correctly—“

“You did. I’m going on vacation. Vacay. Holiday. Whatever the kids are calling it this century.” Salem smiled. “It’s been three hundred years since I’ve been on vacation, Watts. Cinder and Beacon can get along without me for awhile—there’s still weeks until the Vytal Festival.” He still didn’t look convinced, and Salem knew there was something he wanted to say, but was afraid to say it. “Out with it, Watts.”

“It’s just…well…your appearance, ma’am. I should think people will notice.”

She was too happy to be offended. “I’ll disguise myself, Watts. No one will be the wiser.”

“And there’s one other thing. It’s been fifteen years, correct?” She nodded. “Then the silver-eyed maiden that hurt you so will have returned. Cinder reported a rumor that there may be another silver-eyed maiden at Beacon. You have two to deal with now.”

Salem shrugged. “I’ve had far more silver-eyed maidens than that before, and I’ve always dealt with them. Worry not, Watts. Summer Rose’s return is part of my plan. She will cause such chaos with her return that her family, and Ozpin, will be too busy dealing with the fallout of that to not notice the enemy within. Are there any other questions?”

“No, ma’am. Very good, ma’am.”

“I’ll leave in a few hours. I have…something to attend to first.” He bowed and walked backwards out of the throne room, closing the door behind him. 

Salem sat down, sighed happily, and moved a hand over the scryer. The yellow light flared and extended upwards and outwards, to form a screen of sorts. In the picture was Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose, and Raven Branwen. Salem swirled the wine and made sure the bottle was close. “Finally,” she mused with a smile, “there’s something good on tonight.” She kicked up her feet again, loosened her robe a little, and sat back to watch the fireworks.

“T-T-Tai…” Summer began. “I feel…weird….”

Panic seized Taiyang. Was Summer sick? Did the spell bringing her back make her ill? The ultimate bad luck—that she would return to his arms only to die. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah…I think so…just feel hot all of a sudden.” Her fingers were shaking. “Tai…are the…kids here? Ruby and Yang?”

“No, no. They’re still at Beacon. They won’t get here until tomorrow.” He was still holding her, afraid to let go. “Really, are you okay?”

_“_ Oh... _hell yes.”_ Suddenly Summer no longer felt weird. She felt powerful. Insanely powerful. Her nipples hardened instantly under the blouse. Summer had never understood the phrase "the wetness exploded within" when reading Raven's trashy romance novels, but now she did, because _something_ was exploding deep down.

And she needed this man, her man, to be very naked, right now. It was their tradition when she came home anyway: the kids were whipped off to a babysitter for a few hours, and they would immediately make love wherever they ended up—the couch, the floor, the kitchen table, the shower, the bed if they managed to make it that far, and at least once on the porch Raven was standing on. Ruby had gotten started somewhere in the living room. 

She drew Tai down to her lips, and hungrily kissed him. For her, it had only been three weeks; for him, fifteen years. His head swam with her scent and he crushed her small body to his, trying to remember every curve of it, still not entirely sure this wasn’t a dream. Her cloak went first, drifting to the floor like scattered roses, then his strong hands were tugging at her corset strings. With shaking fingers, she helped him get it off, and laughed softly as his calloused hands gripped at her small breasts. Summer didn’t even bother with unbuttoning his shirt; she tore it off with a popping of buttons and felt tears on her face again when she touched his muscled chest, the broad pectorals and those wonderfully hard abdominals. Tai worked out, and Summer was determined to reap the rewards. Her dress fell to her ankles, exposing black lacy stockings and underwear. His cargo pants were next, exposing loudly colored orange boxers, tented with a massive erection. 

Raven stood in complete shock on the porch, forgotten in Summer and Taiyang’s hunger for each other. She knew she should be turning into a bird and hauling tailfeathers, but the memories assaulted her as well: the feel of Tai’s rough hands on her skin, the delicious feel of him inside her. Raven had shared Summer’s desire to make love wherever she and Tai could, as soon as they could, except that Raven had none of Summer’s shyness: if she wanted sex, Taiyang better step lively. There were parts of Beacon that both of them could look back on and smile; Raven wasn’t entirely sure if Yang got started on the connubial bed or on Professor Port’s desk. 

She knew Summer had a hidden passionate side, but this was something entirely new. It looked to Raven like the small Huntress was trying to check Tai’s tonsils with her tongue, and her hands were getting very bold. At the rate they were going, the dinner table was likely to be the consummation point. In any case, the bandit knew, she should be leaving. Tai was no longer her husband; she’d made that sacrifice long ago, though there had been many lonely nights she had regretted it. Making matters worse was that her mouth was getting very dry watching this, but other parts of her body were getting rather wet.

“I’ll…I’ll leave you guys to it,” Raven said, stumbling over her words. “Um, Tai, good seeing you, tell Yang I said hi; Summer, glad you’re not dead—“ She stopped, realizing that she was saying nonsense. Yes, it was good seeing Tai, and yes, she was glad Summer wasn’t dead after all, but she hadn’t said hi to Yang since she was born. Raven turned to leave before they saw her really fall apart. She knew that could be her in Taiyang’s strong arms, her that he wanted so much, but she had sacrificed him and Yang for her tribe. Or was it just fear, the fear that always stalked her, she thought, the fear of not being good enough?

“Raven.” She turned back at Summer’s voice, and expected to be thanked—as Summer had already thanked her a thousand times. Instead, she held out a hand. “Join us.” Summer’s mind screamed at her: _What are you doing? She abandoned Tai! She abandoned Yang! Sure, she helped you get here, but—_

 _SHUT UP,_ Summer commanded the voice. _I WANT ALL THE SEX. NOW._

“What?” Raven whispered.

“Join us.”

“For dinner?” That made no sense either, but Raven was grasping at straws.

“No, silly,” Summer grinned, with that infectious grin of hers. “In bed. Or…y’know…wherever we end up.” She quickly glanced back to a thunderstruck Tai. Her lust hadn’t quite overwhelmed her politeness to her husband. “If…if you don’t mind, Tai.” Raven swallowed. She looked helplessly to her former husband. If Tai got any more shocks this day, _he_ was going to be the one who died. “Please,” Summer asked. “I know there's a part of you that still loves her, deep down. _I_ still love her. Maybe…we can heal. Heal each other.”

Now Tai _knew_ he was dreaming. There was no way that gentle, shy Summer Rose was proposing a threesome with his ex-wife. The healing idea— _that_ was pure Summer, but it shouldn’t be the sexual healing. Then again, Tai reconsidered, they _had_ joked about it in bed once or twice, mainly derisively towards Raven—and for that matter, Raven herself had proposed it soon before Tai had proposed marriage. One look in Summer’s eyes, lust-addled as they were, and Tai knew she was entirely serious.

And damn if it wasn’t tempting. 

“Oh…what the hell,” Tai said, figuring it was probably all a dream anyway, so he might as well indulge himself. They both looked at Raven, who was as flustered as Tai had ever seen her.

“But…I…I…” Raven found herself walking into Tai’s house for the first time in nearly two decades, woodenly, as if compelled to. Before she was even aware of what she was doing, her bracers were being unstrapped and falling to the floor. Her heart pounded in her head so much that she couldn’t think. 

Summer left off Tai’s chest to turn to her. “Tai,” she whispered, “I think she’s agreed.”

“For once, she’s not running.” It escaped Tai’s mouth before he could stop it, even if it was the truth. Raven was so overcome with desire that she barely registered the insult. Instead, she came to a halt, still unsure.

Then their hands were on her. Raven Branwen was efficiently stripped in moments, frozen, unbelieving that she was doing this. Now they were all in their underwear, which might have been funny had it not been for the fact that everyone was quite clearly aroused. “Well,” Summer said huskily, “who wants to start?”

“Allow me,” Tai said, and picked both the women up and threw them over his shoulders. Summer gave a happy squeal; Raven a surprised one. He carried them up the stairs into the master bedroom and deposited them on the bed, then kicked the door shut behind them.

Downstairs, a very confused Zwei, who had been watching the whole situation unfold, decided that the humans were probably going to be doing their mating thing—he’d smelled that much—and therefore, like a good dog, he should give them privacy. He nudged the front door shut with his head, then went through the doggy door to lay on the porch. Grimm weren’t usually attracted to this sort of thing, but he’d be on guard just in case.   
  
  


"Waaait a second," Salem said, sitting up. "That's not supposed to happen. Raven was supposed to get pissed off and leave in jealousy! They're not supposed to be having a threesome!" Salem downed the rest of the wine in her glass and poured some more. "Great. I swear, it would be nice to have _one_ of my plans that doesn't go to shit." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. No plan survives contact with the enemy, Salem.


	3. She Drives Me Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiyang and Raven are utterly surprised at Summer's aggressiveness. But an awkward situation is about to get a lot worse, because, unknown to any of them, Ruby and Yang have decided to come home a day early. 
> 
> Well, Salem did predict chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, here's where this story earns its explicit tag--though honestly, aside from whatever comes out of Raven's mouth, I've tried not too be too explicit; nothing more than you'd read in an average smexy chapter of "Outlander," for instance. There's also a little bit of copying from the "Big Love" chapter of "Love Hurts" that inspired this fic.
> 
> A tip of the hat to George MacDonald Fraser, the famous author of the "Flashman" series, for inspiration for this chapter.
> 
> And why did I choose the title for this chapter? Well, like all my chapters, it's a song title--in this case, the Fine Young Cannibals, for the one lyric: "What I had for you was true/Things go wrong, they always do."

Raven Branwen found herself in the odd position of not knowing what the hell to do. Though she had been no virgin when she and Taiyang had married, her sexual experience was nowhere near what she bragged it had been. Since their de facto divorce, Raven had branched out and found several lovers. This wasn’t even her first threesome; during one particularly wild night when she was infiltrating a Vacuo town, she’d even ended up in an orgy. It was interesting in that it was something to say she had done, but as a Mistrali sage had once said, only a cad would make a habit of it.

But to be in a threesome with her ex-husband and sweet, innocent, naïve Summer Rose—well, there wasn’t precedent for that, and she wasn’t exactly sure how to proceed. Then again, despite Tai bringing both his ladies to his bedroom and the fact he was standing there with a raging hard-on, he looked like he was a little unsure of what to do next either.

Summer, on the other hand, _did_ know. Raven gave a start of surprise as Summer suddenly bounced off the bed, unclasped her bra and threw it aside, then pulled off her panties and kicked those to parts unknown. Back at Beacon, Summer Rose had been very shy: in her first year, she had been so reluctant to even shower with the other girls after practice that she always stood there in a towel, waiting for everyone else to finish. Only after an exasperated Raven had torn the towel off and shoved her into the showers while half the female student body at Beacon was bathing did she finally stop waiting. Even then, Summer always hung back. She always got completely dressed before leaving the shower at the dorm, and would go into the bathroom to change into her onesie before going to bed. Raven, on the other hand, had stripped naked in front of Team STRQ plenty of times, figuring that Tai already knew what a woman’s body looked like (and if he didn’t, she might as well give him an education), and Qrow was not going to be turned on by the sight of his twin sister.

Now Summer stood there, hands on her hips, legs apart, every inch of her anatomy on display, from the rock-hard dark nipples that pointed upwards on the small breasts, to the thin stripe of black hair at the junction of her thighs. She licked her lips hungrily, reached forward with both hands, and pulled down Tai’s shorts in one swift motion. His erection bobbed free, and to both Tai’s and Raven’s shock, Summer instantly knelt and put her lips around it, then took as much into her mouth as she could without gagging.

Tai, for his part, wasn’t sure if he should be insanely happy or to run like hell. Words could not describe his joy at seeing Summer again, but she had _never_ been this aggressive. Oh, Summer had done oral on him before, but it was always tentatively, afraid she wasn’t going to do it right or she’d accidentally bite him. He’d never insisted on it—not because she was bad at it, but because he didn’t want her to be embarrassed. This, however, was something entirely different. She not only was doing it, she was humming happily as she did so.

Summer slid Tai out of her mouth long enough to face Raven. She pushed Tai’s erection towards the other woman as if offering a ice cream bar. “Raven? Did you want to...um...you know?” Summer hadn’t _completely_ lost her shyness.

Raven felt an emotion she hadn’t felt since her wedding night: embarrassment. “Um, no. You go right ahead, Summer.”

“I don’t want you to feel left out.” Summer did actually blush at that point. “Er…I guess…if you wanted to…you could…well…” She pointed downwards, and Raven, to her utter shock, realized Summer was asking if Raven wanted to go down on her. 

“I’m good!” Raven insisted. She’d had female lovers as well—in fact, she had one at the moment, back at her camp—but eating out her former best friend in front of her ex-husband was a step she wasn’t quite ready to take. Though she was ready for something else, much to her chagrin; on her thonglike panties she wore, Raven had noticed there was a patch of wetness. She crossed her legs, but she knew with certainty Summer had seen it. 

“Well…you should do something. It’s not fair otherwise.” She left off and got to her feet. Summer put her arms around Tai. “And I know I’m not being fair to you, Tai, but I really need you inside me. Right nowishly.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Tai grinned at her. Truth to tell, had Summer not stopped with her oral exercises, as it were, there was no way he was going to last. Raven got out of the way as he gently drew her towards the bed. She turned in his embrace so her back was to him, Tai gulped as Summer rubbed her rear against him, and then yelped as she grabbed his arm and executed a perfect hip toss onto the bed. She looked down at him, licked the saliva off her lips, and jumped astride him. Tai closed his eyes, praying he was not about to be emasculated, but Summer timed her jump well. She ended up with his member just in front of her. “Ready?” she whispered, her voice thick.

“You bet,” Tai replied. It was taking all his willpower not to lose it right there: Summer Rose, gone for so long, so many nights remembering what it was like to make love to her, to see that beautiful face framed in its red-black hair in ecstasy, knowing he’d never see it again. Tai had been true to her memory; he’d never sought out another wife, knowing he could be never so lucky again. 

And now she was here. Beautiful and alive, Summer was here.

“Oh my _gods,”_ he groaned, as she took hold and gently guided him into her. She carefully sank down until he was fully in. Their wedding night, she couldn’t take his length, but now, after years of marriage and a child, she had no more trouble accommodating him.

Raven watched, rooted in place as she had been on the porch, as Summer slowly slid up Tai’s member, then down again, stretching out the pace in sweet torture. One part of her still wanted to turn into a bird and fly out the nearest window. Another part of her wanted to just watch, plunge fingers beneath her panties, and relieve the ache between her legs. 

Summer stopped, and once more looked at her. “Raven, please. This isn’t just about Tai and me. Not this time.”

Tai would have actually preferred it be just him and Summer, but his ex-wife looked so lost and confused that he had to do something. “Raven, come over here.” He tried a smile. “I know what you used to like for me to do.”

“You…you can’t…mean…” 

He nodded.

Once more, Raven wondered if she was possessed, or there was some wizard or witch in the room—maybe this Salem she’d heard of—that was casting a spell on her. Before she knew it, she was pulling off her own panties, walking across the hardwood floor she knew so well, getting on the bed, and letting those calloused hands of Taiyang position her over his mouth. She tensed up, knowing what was about to happen, wondering why it was happening, then gasping as it _did_ happen, as Tai’s tongue touched her already moist folds. After a few long, tender licks, Raven relaxed, allowing herself to sink down a little lower and give him more access. As his tongue explored her, her eyes half-closed. “Oh…Tai…”

Summer began her slow ride again, taking it easy. She smiled at her. “He’s really good at that, isn’t he?”

“Yes…yess… _fuck…”_ All three of them abruptly remembered that Raven’s mouth usually got progressively filthier the more turned on she got. Summer had learned this when she had accidentally overheard one of Raven’s self-help sessions in the bathroom one night, and Tai on their honeymoon, when Raven had said and done things that would’ve caused the nearby residents of Atlas to burn her at the stake.

“See…” Summer said, cupping her breasts as she gloried in the familiar, wonderful feeling of being filled by the man she loved. “This is nice.”

The path to the Xiao Long-Rose household was about two miles long from the main road on Patch, through dense woods. It was spring break for Beacon Academy, and Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long were taking advantage of the beautiful weather to walk the six miles from town to their home. They could have called their father Taiyang and had them pick them up, but the two girls agreed that it would be a lot more fun to surprise Dad. Six miles was nothing for young Huntresses, and they were arriving a day earlier than they had told Taiyang they would be getting to Patch—having gotten permission from Ozpin to skip the last day of class. 

“Dad’s going to be so surprised!” Ruby said cheerfully as she practically skipped the last mile to home. “This was a great idea, Yang.”

Yang nodded. “Yup. Just hope he’s not mad.”

“Why would he be?” Ruby twirled in place. 

“Well…” Yang turned a little red. “I kinda said something I probably shouldn’t have.” She looked at her feet, uncharacteristically down for her. “Remember when Dad messaged us? I told him he wasn’t cool, that he’s boring.”

“You shouldn’t have put it like that,” Ruby replied. “I mean, he’s not like Uncle Qrow, but that’s okay, because he’s just Dad. Besides, when he tries to be cool, he just…kind of…fails.” Taiyang just didn’t seem to understand that he didn’t need to be cool for Ruby and Yang—he just needed to be what he’d always been, a great father.

“I know,” Yang said, as they continued to walk down the path, “but still, Rubes…it was kind of crappy of me to say that. You know Dad just wants to try to connect with us.”

“Yeah,” Ruby replied wistfully. They both knew Taiyang was probably dealing with a bit of empty nest syndrome, with two almost-grown daughters and a house empty of everyone but Zwei. “Well…just tell him you’re sorry, Yang. He’s Dad—he won’t hold it against you.”

“I guess you’re right.” Yang felt a little better. 

They went around a bend in the trail, and then both grinned hugely: they saw their house. It was a nice two-story log cabin affair, in a clearing atop a hill that had a gorgeous view of Patch’s mountains. The scent of sunflowers hit them, blown by a gentle breeze. They stopped at the edge of the clearing, and Ruby saw that Zwei was asleep on the porch. She put a finger to her lips for Yang, then hissed “Zwei!”

The corgi heard her and perked up at the familiar voice. Then he spotted Ruby and Yang, yipped happily, and ran out to them as fast as his stubby legs would take him. Ruby knelt and he jumped into her arms, licking her face, but she closed his mouth when he started to bark. “Shhh, Zwei! We have to surprise Dad!” The dog squirmed in her grasp, but she held onto him long enough to pull a big steak bone out of her belt pouch. She set him down, then handed him the bone. Zwei was too happy to have something to gnaw on to bark now. 

  
  
Raven’s eyes were closed now, and she pulled at her own nipples in passion as Tai’s tongue found all the old places. She bent over to give him better access and nearly bonked heads with Summer, but both were too lost in lust to mind much. Instead, Summer kissed Raven’s hair as the other woman began to gasp. Then Summer stopped for a second. “Did the dog…”

“Ah, gods, Tai! That’s it! Suck on my clit! Fuck _yes!_ ” Raven sat up abruptly, and Summer, with a Huntress’ reflexes, dodged before Raven’s head would have clocked her under the jaw. 

Tai left off on Raven for a moment. “Summer, hon…don’t stop…”

She shrugged; dogs barked at weird things. And Tai was so close. “Okay.” For his pleasure and hers, she quickened the pace. She was getting pretty close as well.   
  


Yang threw Ruby a thumbs-up, and both nodded to each other. With Zwei occupied, they stealthfully made their way up the path to their front door, in a quick, silent dash across the front yard, as if they were assaulting a den of White Fang or Roman Torchwick’s hideout, rather than their own home. They positioned themselves on both sides of the door, flattened against the wall, and Yang counted off three. Ruby put her hand on the knob and turned it; it was unlocked, which meant that Taiyang was home; he never unlocked the door when at home. If anyone was fool enough to break into the house of a respected and experienced Huntsman, they deserved what they got. 

Ruby eased open the door and glanced inside. They couldn’t hear anything, which was odd. If Taiyang had gone for a walk, he would’ve taken Zwei. “Maybe he’s taking a nap?” Ruby asked in a whisper.

Yang’s grin was huge, the devilment of their childhood in their eyes. She’d always been the instigator of the practical jokes on poor old Dad, and Ruby went along like the dutiful little sister. “Let’s get him,” she whispered back. 

“Okay,” Ruby replied, “but don’t pour cold water on his chest this time.” Yang involuntarily winced. When she had been ten, she thought it was uproariously funny to pour a glass of cold water on a sleeping Taiyang’s chest. She’d nearly given him a heart attack, and there was still a dent in the ceiling from where he’d leapt out of bed. 

They entered the house like a SWAT team, complete with hand signals, and slipped off their boots to make less noise. The living room and kitchen were empty, though there were clothes scattered on the floor. That was odd: Taiyang was fairly fastidious about keeping house. Yang wondered if Zwei had gotten into the clothes hamper or something. Neither she nor Ruby noticed that not all the clothes were male, nor did they notice Raven’s bracers or Summer’s cloak: the latter covered the former, and it had landed with the red inside of the cape outwards, so that it looked like a red blanket.

They got to the base of the stairs leading to the bedrooms on the second floor, and froze. 

“Tai, you fucking _asshole!_ I didn't fucking tell you to stop fucking sucking my fucking clit!"

It was a woman’s voice. Yang and Ruby stared popeyed at each other and both turned red with shock and embarrassment. Sons and daughters rarely wanted to acknowledge that their parents had sex lives: although obviously parents did, it was one of the unwritten rules of parenthood that you should be discreet and pretend that you weren’t thumping the mattress with the other spouse. Making matters more strange was that Taiyang Xiao Long was a single dad—Yang’s mother, Raven, had abandoned them soon after Yang was born, and Summer Rose, Ruby’s mother, was dead.

Yang motioned Ruby down, until they knelt close enough for their hushed voices to barely carry—though from the sounds emanating from upstairs, it was doubtful Tai and whoever he was having sex with would’ve heard if they’d blown the front door off with Ember Celica. “Dad got himself a girlfriend!” Yang said as quiet as she could. 

“Yeah, but who?” Ruby’s reddened face got redder at the sound of a long moan. Yang bit her lip: whereas Ruby was horribly embarrassed at the sounds of her father having sex, Yang was about to burst out laughing. 

  
  
Summer was now bouncing up and down with total abandon on Tai, wanting so much for the inevitable conclusion, as the tension inside increased and increased to the breaking point; Summer leaned forward, bracing her hands on his abdomen, feeling the muscles tightening beneath. Tai was thrusting into her, becoming erratic. One very distant part of Summer’s mind warned her that neither had taken any sort of steps for protection, but it was smothered by the insatiable need; absently, Summer decided that giving Ruby and Yang another sibling was a very small price to pay for this. She could no longer contain herself. “Yes, Tai! Yes! Harder! Oh, please, _harder!”_

_Two?!_ Yang mouthed to Ruby. It was one thing for their dad to have found himself a girlfriend, but to be having a threesome? Something was very wrong!

“ _Oh gods, Tai! I’m going to come so fucking hard! Eat me out! Eat meeee!”_ It was the first voice, rising to a scream. Now it was Yang’s turn to blush as hard as Ruby—that was what _she_ sounded like, Yang thought, mortified, when she was in the zone, as it were. 

“Raven…” Taiyang puffed out. “Keep…keep your voice down--”

“Shut the fuck up and don’t stop!”

“Raven?” Ruby said to Yang, but her sister never replied. Instead, she was moving up the stairs, filled with equal parts revulsion, curosity, and rage. Raven Branwen, the mother that had abandoned her, the mother that had been never there—and now Taiyang was back together with her, and someone else? _I don’t have a problem with Dad getting laid,_ Yang thought, _but this is too fucking far!_

Ruby, seeing her sister about to make a terrible mistake, correctly assuming that Yang was probably going to kick down a door or two, used her Semblance to shoot past her sister on the stairs in a blur of rose petals. She braced herself against the doorjamb of their father’s bedroom door, and Yang skidded to a halt.

_Out of the way!_ Yang said silently, pointing to one side for emphasis. Ruby shook her head frantically.

  
  
Salem had been watching the tableaux with mounting interest, punishing the bottle—her metabolism was such that it would take more than that to get her drunk, but she was getting a pleasant buzz—and to her consternation, Raven hadn’t been the only one tempted to get hands-on with herself, as it were. Salem had honestly thought herself above such mortal desires, but Summer, Raven and Tai were putting on quite the show, and more than once Salem imagined herself in Raven’s position, or Summer’s, remembering Ozma. There was a reason why legions of lovers had never once measured up to Salem’s first, and why she had risked defying the gods so many times to bring him back to her arms: Ozma was an incredible lover. 

But the arrival of Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long moved those thoughts aside, and Salem leaned closer, head cradled in her hands, her smile widening. “This is going to be good,” she murmured.

Raven’s eyes snapped open as the ball of fire in her loins ignited and burned out of control. “ _Tai, yes! Yes! Fuck yes! Gods, I’m coming! Coming so hard!”_ She looked frantically for something to hold onto besides herself, and through lust-clouded vision, saw Summer, her silver eyes barely visible in slits as she approached her own orgasm. And that, Raven decided in a blur, was exactly what she needed to put her over the top. “ _Summer! Kiss me, Summer!”_

Summer, her hands shaking, reached out and cupped Raven’s face, as the bandit grabbed her shoulders. They had kissed before—playful kisses on the cheek at Beacon, and a week before, a heartbroken kiss on the forehead as they embraced each other for the first time in almost two decades. This, however, was none of that: it was a open-mouthed kiss on the lips, both women too far gone in ecstasy to care much when their tongues met. 

It was all Raven needed. “ _Oh fuck!”_ screamed into Summer’s mouth was all the warning Tai got, and then Raven tore free of Summer’s lips, her eyes glowing with red flame, and screamed at the ceiling as the orgasm grabbed her and flung her down a tidal wave of passion.

Raven’s scream was like the noise that started an avalanche. Tai gave one last thrust into Summer, let out a muffled groan, and shot his seed deep into his wife. Summer, for her part, needed only that feeling of Tai erupting into her to reach her own peak. She was not as vocal as Raven, never had been, but let out one long _mmmmmm_ as she spasmed around her husband.

And it was at that moment that Ruby, having heard her mother’s name spoken aloud, whirled, sprayed Yang with rose petals, and kicked open the door. 

Ruby first saw her father lying naked on his bed, though to her eternal thanks, she could not see anything but arms, abdomen, one leg and the top of his blond hair. Next, she saw Raven, now out of breath, leaning forward, sweat dripping from her brow, her long fall of black hair down to her well-toned derriere. Ruby recognized Raven from the picture of Team STRQ Uncle Qrow had shown her a few times. 

That was surprise enough. What moved Ruby from surprise to utter shock was the sight of her mother straddling her father, also leaning forward, soft gasps coming from her lips as she gently rocked back and forth. In the most awkward fashion possible, Ruby now knew that somehow, Summer Rose was alive. 

It was too much for Ruby. Her mind winked out, Ruby’s silver eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed into a dead faint.

Yang was a bit tougher. She pointed at her dad. “Aaah!” she screamed incoherently. Then she pointed at Raven. “Aaaah!” Then she pointed at Summer. _“Aaaaah!”_

Tai tried to shove Raven off of his face. “Oh, shit! I can explain. _We_ can explain!”

Raven pulled sweat-plastered strands of hair out of her way to face the daughter she had not seen--with human eyes--in seventeen years. “Well, hello, Yang.” 

Watts pushed open the door to the throne room, and stopped in shock. Tyrian shoved past him, and he stopped as well. Both men looked at each other, then looked at Salem.

The witch was lying across her chair, eyes closed and streaming, laughing so hard the glass shook in the windows. She was pounding the chair’s arm in mirth. “Oh…oh my…” She gasped for breath. “That’s the funniest…oh…I can’t die, but this might kill me!”

“Ma’am?” Watts asked.

“My Queen?” Tyrian questioned.

Salem’s eyes opened. “You two…oh crap…how do I explain this?” She stopped laughing, tried to think of some way _to_ explain it, and couldn’t. Her cheeks bulged and then she exploded into laughter again. 

“Has she…lost her mind?” Watts wondered aloud. Normally, Tyrian would have rounded on the scientist for daring to insult his Queen, but even Tyrian’s demented mind was asking the same question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter's going to be a lot of feels. Ruby is reunited with Summer, and Yang and Raven...have some things to talk about. 
> 
> And thank you for all the reviews! Wow!


	4. Take Me Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the most awkward family reunion in the history of Remnant, Summer, Tai and Raven have to deal with the fallout with Ruby and Yang. It's been 13 years, and there's a lot of time to make up...and then there's Yang coming face to face with Raven. 
> 
> This might not be so fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the feels. This was not an easy chapter to write. Not a lot of funny stuff in this one, but given what's happened, there really couldn't be. I tried to be a little humorous in the end, however. Yep, Tai and Summer just can't keep their hands off each other--understandably so.
> 
> The funny will be back soon, I promise.
> 
> And yes, this chapter corrects the earlier mistake--Summer has been gone 13 years, not 15. 13 sounds more appropriate for Salem, anyway, who apparently can't count. (Yeah, I'm going to blame it on the witch.)

_The House of Taiyang Xiao Long  
_ _Island of Patch, World of Remnant  
_ _Thirty Seconds After the Biggest Mistake in Ruby Rose's Life_  
  
  
“She’s all right.” Summer Rose, one of Tai’s shirts hastily thrown on to cover her nudity, knelt next to a still-unconscious Ruby. “Poor thing.” She bent down and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “My beautiful child. All grown up.” Summer began crying; she suspected she would be doing a lot of that in the hours ahead. “Gods _damn_ you, Salem, for taking me away from them for so long.”

“She could have killed you,” Raven reminded her. She was still naked, but nudity had never bothered the bandit woman. Tai had put on some pants. 

“She _has_ killed me,” Summer snapped. “Everyone thought I was dead, and now…” Her fists balled. “Salem didn’t spare me out of mercy. She just played with me. And she probably still is playing with me.”

Tai touched her shoulder. “Summer, let’s just worry about that later.” He brushed still-sweaty hair out of his face. “Of all the bad luck. Are we sure Qrow isn’t around?”

“I’ll go check on Yang.” Raven walked out of the bedroom, across the hall, to Yang’s room. After seeing what she had seen, Yang had fled into the sanctuary of her old room. Raven, who had never actually seen the interior, spared her daughter’s room a quick smile. It was a teenager’s room: posters of boy bands on the walls, trophies on the shelves, a bed obviously made by Tai, because no daughter of Raven’s ever was that neat. 

Yang was huddled in the corner, staring into space, in shock. Raven knelt down next to her. “Hey. You okay?”

Her daughter slowly turned to face her. “Raven,” she said flatly, “you’re naked.”

The fact that Yang called her by her name rather than mother took Raven aback. It was enough that suddenly she was embarrassed again. “Is there anyone else here? Just you and Ruby?” A slow nod. “All right. Be back in a second.” Raven walked downstairs, passed Zwei, who looked up from his bone, decided she wasn’t terribly interesting, and went back to his business. Raven gathered up her clothes and hastily dressed, not bothering with her armor, and found she didn’t even remember losing half of what was on the floor. She also remembered her underwear was somewhere in Tai’s room, but shrugged; it could wait. She got Summer’s clothes, went back upstairs, handed her friend her cloak and underthings, and went back to Yang. Tai was carrying Ruby to her room, accompanied by Summer, who was dressing along the way. 

Yang had not moved. Raven sat down next to her. “What a fucking mess. This was _not_ the way you needed to meet me.”

The brawler did not meet her eyes. “So you’re her.” The contempt in her voice, the brooding expression, even the way her hair fell over her face. The eyes and hair color were Taiyang’s, but everything else about Yang Xiao Long was Raven Branwen. It was like looking in a mirror. 

Raven decided to put a good face on it. “Yep. I’m your mother.” Yang got to her feet. “Where are you going?” Raven asked.

“To go check on my sister. And talk to my mother.” Yang stared down at her, and Raven was shocked at the hatred in those lilac eyes. “My _real_ mother.”

Ruby Rose felt like she was floating on air. She felt so warm and comfortable. Her head was lying on something soft, there was a thick blanket over her, and someone’s hand was on hers. Ruby’s eyelids fluttered. “Wow,” she murmured. “What a weird dream. Seeing Mom, and Yang’s mom, and Dad…I think I may need to see a therapist.”

“I’m so sorry you had to see that, Ruby. I don’t know what came over me.”

Ruby’s eyes snapped open and she was suddenly wide awake. She tried to sit up, but a gentle hand pushed her back to the bed. She turned, and either she was still dreaming, or this was reality. Sitting next to her bed, a sad, gentle smile on her face (and her clothes back on), was her mother, Summer Rose. 

The voice was a dim memory, but Ruby had never forgotten it. “It can’t be,” she whispered. “It can’t be you.” 

Tears welled up and drifted down Summer’s cheeks. “It’s me, Ruby. It’s me, darling.”

This time there was no stopping Ruby from sitting up. She reached out and touched her mother’s cheek. There was warm flesh there. It wasn’t an illusion. It wasn’t a ghost. Summer Rose was alive. “M…Mommy?”

“Ruby. Oh gods, Ruby.” They hugged each other hard. They hugged each other so hard that it was going to leave welts, but neither cared. Tears fell freely and unashamedly. Suddenly, Ruby Rose, the fearless reaper and leader of Team RWBY, was a three year old again, who didn’t understand that Mommy was never coming home again—but here she was. And Summer Rose was the mother of a beautiful little girl, who rocked her child and sang a little lullaby, to calm down both of them.

“Mom?”

Summer left off of comforting Ruby long enough to stare up at her other child—Raven’s, by birth, but hers by choice. “My gods,” she whispered. Ruby still looked a bit like the three year old she had been when Summer had left on her mission; Yang looked barely like the five year old she had been, dirty, yelling, and missing a baby tooth because she had ran headlong into a door. Now Yang was a mature woman—tall, athletic, magnificent. She was Raven and Tai, without a hint of Summer, and yet Summer felt her heart swell with pride at the sight of her. “Yang?”

“It’s me, Mom.” Then Yang could contain herself no longer. She ran forward and embraced Summer and Ruby with bone-crushing force, bawling worse than Ruby. Ruby’s memories of Summer were hazy; Yang’s were not. 

Tai wiped his eyes. Raven walked up to them, keeping a close check on her emotions. “You should get in there, Tai,” she said.

“No, that’s between a mother and her daughters.”

Raven sighed. _And now you pay the price,_ she thought to herself. With Summer gone, Raven had a chance to reconnect with Yang; with Summer back, there was no chance. By all rights, Raven should hate the woman who replaced her in Tai’s heart, but she couldn’t—and not just because less than half an hour before she’d been kissing her. Summer was a friend, and would always be so. She'd been a fool to throw that away. She'd been such a fool. “You’re right,” she told Tai softly. “I should go.”

Tai turned to her. “Raven…” He didn’t know what to say. An hour before, he was satisfied in hating the woman who had left him with an infant. Now he was facing someone who had brought his wife home, and someone he’d just had sex with. To say it was awkward was the biggest understatement in the history of Remnant. 

“Yang hates me, Tai,” Raven said, low enough that no one but Tai could hear. “And she probably has a right to.” She sighed again. “I’ll go now. Let Qrow know…he’s always carried a torch for Short Stack.” She nodded towards Summer. “Better she doesn’t know I’ve left. At least not for now.”

“You’re welcome here, Raven.” Tai shook his head. “Dust, and I’d just gotten used to hating your guts. Now…”

“I’m glad you still love me in some way. Even if it’s only with your tongue.” She winked at him, a hint of the devilment he’d loved in Raven from the moment he’d met her. “I’ll come back. When Yang’s ready to talk, I’ll come back.”

He nodded. “See you then, Raven.”

“Take care of yourself, Tai.” She walked towards the stairs. Her armor and sword were downstairs. “Oh, Tai?”

He had turned back to watching Summer and his daughters, but he looked over his shoulder at her. Raven gave him a savage grin, and flipped up her dress to show she hadn’t bothered to retrieve her underwear. She turned, wiggled her rear at him, and sashayed down the stairs, her dress still gathered around her waist. 

“Damn,” Tai breathed. Raven was still much woman.

Summer had insisted on fixing dinner. Ruby had asked if she still remembered, only to be reminded that, for Summer, only a few weeks had passed since she’d seen her daughters. Making the situation even stranger was that she was wearing Ruby’s clothes; all of Summer’s, aside from a single cloak, were long since gone. 

It was simple fare—just a salad and some grilled chicken. But all of them set to the food with a passion, because Summer had made it. Tai broke out some wine he’d been saving for a special occasion, and Summer was at first taken aback to see Yang pour herself a drink. Then she remembered that Yang was old enough, by Vale law; the drinking age was 17. Once more, Summer silently cursed Salem: in some ways, sparing her life hadn’t been an act of mercy, but unimaginable cruelty. While they ate, Summer told her story to them.

“I am so sorry,” Summer said for about the twentieth time. “For you to see what you did…”

Yang had recovered, and now laughed. “Oh hell, Mom. Stop it. If I had a guy I was in love with, and I hadn’t seen him in thirteen years? I’d bang his brains out too. I’m surprised you guys even made it to the bedroom.”

Ruby turned beet red and stared into her salad. “Yeah, but…it wasn’t just Mom and Dad.”

“Salem put a spell on us,” Summer said. It was a small lie. Summer herself knew why she had invited Raven to share Tai: she’d been so lust-stricken that probably she would’ve invited Qrow or Ozpin to bed at that point. The question was why Raven had so enthusiastically accepted. “We couldn’t help ourselves. ‘You will be uncontrollable until your desire is slaked,’” she quoted. “Salem’s idea of a joke.”

“So who’s Salem?” Yang asked.

Tai and Summer exchanged a glance. Team STRQ had been let in on the secret by Ozpin himself; less than twelve people on Remnant knew about Salem. Her daughters were not ready for that knowledge. “An evil witch,” Summer told Yang. “She lives…” She couldn’t remember where, and that was for the best—for now. “…far away,” Summer finished lamely. “She’s an old enemy of Huntsmen and Huntresses everywhere.” It was still telling the truth, just not all of it. “Grimm aren’t the only things we fight.”

“That’s for sure.” Ruby briefly told them of the fight with Torchwick’s gang and the White Fang. Summer put a hand over her mouth in shock. Her daughters, already in a battle! They were too young, she told herself, then realized that they weren’t. Summer had been younger than Ruby when she first battled Grimm. 

Summer felt the tears again. It happened every time she saw Yang and Ruby—grown up, or almost so. So much time gone. She hadn’t been there for track meets, for the little hurts, for birthdays, for holidays, for first dates, anything. And this time she couldn’t stop. She carefully set aside her salad, buried her head in her hands, and wept uncontrollably. “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “I never should’ve left. I never should’ve left…”

Tai enfolded his wife in a hug, and Yang and Ruby were instantly by their mother’s side. “It’s okay, mama,” Ruby said. “You’re here now.”

Later that night, after an exhausted Ruby and Yang had gone to bed, Tai gently closed the door to his bedroom. “It’s kind of small,” he remarked, motioning to his own bed. “After you…left…I got rid of the big bed. It was just too empty.”

“I understand.” Summer sat down on the side of the bed, then chuckled. “Still can’t believe what happened. I mean, when we were teenagers, at Beacon? Yeah, maybe then a threesome with Raven. I was so frustrated back then I probably would’ve slept with Port. But now? After all of this?” She shook her head in wonder. “I have the excuse of Salem hitting me with that damn lust spell. You have the excuse of not seeing me in thirteen years. Why the hell did Raven agree to it?”

Tai sat down next to her, putting an arm around her. “Raven’s lonely too, I guess.”

“Yeah, right. We went to her camp after she found me. I could tell she’s got at least one lover there, probably several.”

“She doesn’t _love_ them, Summer. She has sex with them.”

Summer nodded, and leaned into his embrace. “Why did she leave?”

“Now, or seventeen years ago?”

“Today.”

“Yang rejected her. Raven can’t handle that. Raven has _never_ been able to handle that. I think that’s why she left after Yang was born—she was afraid she wouldn’t be a good mother. Never mind the bullshit about her tribe and all of that.” Tai felt the anger growing, and with effort, fought it down. “Anyway…to be honest…I don’t want to talk about Raven.”

Summer grinned at him playfully. “You weren’t doing a lot of talking before, either. Raven certainly knows what she’s been missing now.”

“Oh yeah?” Tai booped her nose. “And what about you? First you go down on me like you were poisoned and my dick was the antidote.” Summer burst into laughter at that. “Then you freaking hip toss me onto the bed and start riding me.” He whistled lowly. “Actually, I’m glad I was occupied with Raven. It gave me something to concentrate on besides you torturing me.”

“Hmm.” Summer gave him that sly look he knew too well, and Tai could feel it go straight to his groin. “Well, the kids are in bed, and Raven’s gone, and it _has_ been awhile…”

Tai smiled back. He reached under the T-shirt that she wore, under the bra, and found a nipple. It was hard in seconds. She drew him to her, into a kiss. Summer thought she had cried all the tears that could be cried in the world, but she felt them in her eyes again. It was the kiss of two people that knew it would be the first of tens of thousands of kisses. Again.

He broke the kiss long enough for her to pull off the T-shirt. “Summer,” he murmured.

“Mm-hmm.”

“Could you mind, er, taking all your clothes off?”

She laughed softly. “That _is_ what people usually do when they have sex, Tai. I know this was covered at some point in our marriage.”

“No, it’s just that…” He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Those are Ruby’s clothes, and this feels _extremely_ weird.”

“Oh!” Summer got to her feet. She was embarrassed as well—mainly because she wore practically the same size, in both clothes size and cup size, as her fifteen-year old daughter. Ruby was still growing. Summer stared down at her bust, and was satisfied to see that her breasts were overflowing the bra a bit, so it wasn’t quite that bad. 

She went over to make sure the door was locked—they weren’t making that mistake again—and turned back to Tai. The playful smile returned. Summer put her hands on the side of the dresser, one piece of furniture that was still familiar, and began using it as a stripper pole. She took off the bra and twirled it around her finger before she tossed it at Tai, who batted it out of the air like a volleyball. Then she turned, and with a sultry expression, began rubbing her rear on the side of the dresser. She unbuttoned the tight pants—Summer’s hips were wider than Ruby’s—and shimmied out of them. Down to her panties, she strutted over to Tai, turned her rear to him, shook it, and slowly peeled down the underwear. Now naked, she slowly spun in place and sat on his lap, putting her arms around his neck. He was grinning like the proverbial Beowulf that ate the Nevermore. Unknown to even Team STRQ, Summer Rose actually had a lusty side that only came out after her marriage, and while not as quite open to experimentation as Raven had been, Tai was more than satisfied.

“Gods, you are beautiful,” he said. There was wetness on his cheek. “I missed you so much.”

“You know,” she whispered between kisses, “in some ways…we’re kind of starting over.”

“How so?”

“Well, you haven’t seen me in so long. We’re not strangers in any way, of course, but it’s just…everything is new again.”

“That’s not a good thing,” Tai told her.

“It could be.” She kissed his forehead. “Tai, I’m not going to let Salem win. She spared me because she knew it would be crueler to hurt me rather than kill me. She let you and the girls think I was dead to torture you. I think she expects that it’s going to be utter chaos. And it is, but chaos can be good.” She leaned back a little and put out a hand. “Hello, Taiyang Xiao Long. I’m Summer Rose. Will you marry me?”

He gave her a heartbreaking smile. “Hello, Summer Rose, I’m Taiyang Xiao Long. Yes, I will marry you.”

“Whew!” At his questioning look, she giggled. “What if you’d said no?”

“You’d still have Raven,” he said.

Summer’s eyes widened. “You…” She slapped him, but there was no force behind it. “You bastard! I kissed her and that's all!” She was grinning, which took the anger out of it.

“There was tongue.”

She shoved him back on the bed. “Oh, like you could tell! You were buried nose-deep in her…in her…” She searched for the right word, but they were all filthy or clinical. “…in her thing!” She folded her arms across her chest and pouted. “Dust. And so what if there _was_ tongue? I’m not responsible for what I do when I’m, you know, having a big damn orgasm like that.” She turned away. “And Raven really needs to trim that thing of hers. By the Brothers. I’m glad it was you down there in the jungle and not me.”

“All right.” Tai sat back up, gently picked up Summer bodily, turned her around, and set her on the bed, her arms still folded. “I’m not going to sit here and talk about Raven’s untamed wilderness. You want to know what I was doing down there?”

“You’re damn right I do.” She leaned back and parted her thighs. "Show me."

So Tai showed her. Whatever step he might have lost as a Huntsman in thirteen years, he hadn’t lost any as a lover. His tongue was up and down her folds, darting inside, then teasing the engorged nub at the time, then kissing the inner part of her thighs. Summer closed her eyes, smiling. Oh, she’d _really_ missed this. “Tai,” she breathed after long minutes of sweet torture, “I’m never going to last if you keep doing that.”

“So?” he said, kissing her opening. “You girls have a big advantage over we guys in the orgasm department.”

“While that is true,” she agreed, “I want you in me.”

“Right nowishly?” he snickered.

“Yes. Right nowishly.”

Tai dropped his shorts. He was already very hard, and he lifted her up with two big hands on her rear, and slid home with a single thrust. “Ooh, yeah,” Summer exulted. “That’s the stuff.”

He laughed, and she laughed with him. Their lovemaking had two basic flavors: mad passion and cute playfulness. There had always been a lot of laughter in their marriage, which had made it so much worse when she had gone. Tai stopped his thrusts at that thought, but Summer, with a wife’s intuition, reached up and touched his face tenderly. “I’m here, Tai. I’m right here.”

They went slowly after that, both wanting to prolong it as much as they could. Tai’s kisses centered on her neck; Summer dimly realized she’d probably have a few hickies, and their daughters would know what they’d been up to. But they would also understand. That made Summer stop meeting Tai’s slow pushes for a second. “Tai…it’s probably a bit…oh…oh, dear…late to think of this, but…”

“I don’t remember you talking this much,” he said into her neck.

“We’re not wearing any protection.”

He stopped again. “Oh shit. I didn’t even think.”

“Me neither.”

“And today…”

“Definitely wasn’t thinking then, either.” She did some quick mental calculations. “I think maybe we’re safe. And if not?” She shrugged. “Hell with it. Want to make another baby?”

Tai gave that some quick thought too. “The next one’s going to be a son,” he half-growled, and resumed. 

Neither lasted much longer. Summer came first; she usually did. She’d never been a screamer like Raven, and just buried her face into his shoulder, muffling her moans, her fingers running down his back as she felt herself pulsing, that wonderful, beautiful feeling of satisfaction. And, as usual, her orgasm triggered his, and Summer could feel him shooting deeply into her. He lay atop her, riding it out, then, once he was done, slid out of her and fell next to her in the bed. “Wow,” she puffed, getting her breath. “You haven’t forgotten anything…” she flicked at his lips with her tongue “…old man.”

“Old man?” he exclaimed. “Summer, I’m only thirty-six!”

“Kidding,” she said. She tucked a leg over him.

“We’ll get a bigger bed,” he assured her.

“Don’t worry about it. I like this. Reminds me of the beds back at Beacon.” She snuggled into him, loving his smell. It was sweaty, it was a bit earthy, and the smell of sex permeated the room, but Summer didn’t care. It was Tai. “You don’t know how much I wanted to sleep with you back then.” He didn’t respond. “Tai?” She ran her fingers over his arm. “Tai?”

He was smiling, and sound asleep.

“Oh well,” Summer whispered. Truth to tell, it had been a pretty long day. She put her arms around him as best she could, and fell asleep. 

She was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, that's better. I could end this story right there and feel accomplished, but...where's the fun in that? Salem's going on vacation, after all. All kinds of hijinks can happen. And Yang still might be thinking "If Boring Old Dad can have a harem..."
> 
> Speaking of Yang, there was going to be this long confrontation with Raven originally. But after Yang says that one line--"My real mother"--that was really it for Raven in this chapter. There's no way she can come back from that. Yang and Raven will have that heart-to-heart at some point in this story, but not right now. 
> 
> Of course there will be more feels ahead (Summer hasn't found her gravestone yet), but there will be far more humor in future chapters. I'm enjoying writing this story, and I hope you're enjoying reading it. I just have to remember to keep writing "On RWBY Wings"...


	5. Don't Fear the Reaper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tai and Summer wake up in each other's arms, which is good. Yang is cooking breakfast, which is also good. Ruby is gone, and that's bad. Especially since they know where she went.
> 
> Meanwhile, Salem begins her long-anticipated vacation, and remembers why she hasn't done this in awhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More feels in the beginning, then back to some Fun With Salem, bringing us back to teh funneh. Geez. When you've got to rely on Salem for laughs...I swear this story's going to be a comedy. I mean it, RWBY characters! Quit making me write you sad!

_The House of Taiyang Xiao Long (and Summer Rose)_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_The Day After Summer Came Home_

Taiyang Xiao Long awoke to two things: the smell of waffles, and a warm body in his arms. Neither seemed right. He was alone, and unless Zwei had learned how to cook in the past 24 hours, he shouldn’t be smelling waffles. Then he came more fully awake, and realized he was _not_ alone. 

Black hair fading to red, just barely brushing the bottom of her neck. Pale skin. A small breast under his hand. A perky bottom up against his groin. Tai’s brain put the equation together and came to the conclusion: he was holding Summer Rose.

“So it wasn’t a dream,” he said into her hair.

“Doesn’t look that way,” she replied, startling him. “And if it is still a dream, it better not end anytime soon, because there’s something poking me in my butt…” She turned over and gazed at him with those wonderful silver eyes. “…and I’m pretty sure it’s not a roll of coins.” Summer reached down and took hold of him. His member twitched in her hands. “Nope, definitely not a roll of coins.”

“And good morning to you.” He kissed her. He still couldn’t believe she was real.

“Mmm. Good morning.” She rubbed him. “And how would you like me to take care of this, sir?”

“I’m thinking that waking up like we went to sleep might work.”

She shifted around, and let him raise a leg, opening her up. But then her stomach gave a very loud growl. “Uh oh,” she said. 

Taiyang paused. “Those waffles do smell pretty damn good.” Now _his_ stomach started to growl.

“Can you wait?”

“Can you?” He drew a finger down her folds; it came away wet. 

Another growling noise; Summer’s stomach sounded like an irate Ursa. “I don’t think I have much choice.”

“Ah well.” Tai slapped her bottom. “Eat first, sex later.”

She rolled out of bed. “So long as it’s not too much later.”

Yang was fully dressed, in an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt that had a bar code on it, with the legend AT BEACON ACADEMY, YOU’RE MORE THAN JUST A NUMBER. She already had a plate full of waffles, and she leaned against the cabinet. When the waffles popped out of the toaster, she snatched them out of midair with the oven mitts, and they added to the plate. She then spun in place like a ballerina, grabbed more waffles, and shoved them into the toaster.

She turned when she heard feet on the stairs. “Hey, Dad. Hey…Mom.” They heard the catch in her voice, and Yang smiled. “Sorry. Gonna take a bit to get used to saying that again.”

“It’s good to hear you say it again,” Tai replied. Summer immediately headed for the toaster, but Yang shooed her to a seat. “I got this,” she told them, and served her parents waffles. The strawberry syrup and butter were already on the table. Summer wiped the drool from her lips, grabbed the syrup, and poured enough on her waffles to drown a small animal. Yang and Tai shared a grin. “Doppleganger check complete,” Yang said. “That’s _definitely_ Mom.”

Summer shrugged and downed a forkful of waffles. Yang sat down with her own plate, leaving some waffles in the toaster for Ruby. She and Tai only put butter on theirs. Summer was eating like someone was going to take the plate from her. “Big appetite,” Yang commented. Summer was wearing Tai’s bathrobe, while Tai was just in his cargo pants; in the open collar, Yang could see certain marks on Summer’s neck. “And I think I know why.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter.

“Your father was hungry last night too,” Summer said between bites. They all looked at each other and laughed, Yang happy to share an adult joke with her parents. “Where’s Ruby?”

“Rubes is a lazy ass,” Yang said, sliding her chair back. “Weiss always has to throw her out of bed.”

“Weiss?” Summer asked.

Yang’s hands went to her mouth. “Holy shi…er, holy cow, Mom, we completely forgot to tell you about our team!” She ran towards the stairs. “Let me get Ruby up and we’ll tell you! It’s super awesome!”

They heard her thumping down the hall to Ruby’s room, loud knocking, then a noise that sounded like a door being kicked in; both winced. Yang called for Ruby, then there was silence…until they heard Yang running back down the stairs. Tai and Summer were already out of their seats before Yang could tell them that Ruby was gone.

They dressed quickly. It didn’t take them long to find her; Tai had a feeling he knew where the youngest daughter was. Ruby stood, Zwei next to her, on the cliff behind their home, separated by a grove of trees. The view was spectacular, over the ocean, with the mountains of Vale in the distance. 

At her feet was a stone marker.

Tai stopped, and put out an arm to stop Summer. “Maybe you better not see this.”

She ducked under him. “I have to see it eventually.” She knew what it was.

Ruby stared down at the marker, her cheeks stained with tears, as Summer came up beside her, their capes blowing in the wind. Zwei barked happily; he’d already sensed that this new person was going to be around, and was a friend. “Ruby, honey?” Summer asked.

“Don’t look, Mom.” Ruby tried to stand in front of the marker, but Summer gently pushed her to one side and looked down. The market was dominated by a flamelike rose, the symbol Summer had adopted and Ruby used in her honor. Beneath was the inscription _Summer Rose/Thus kindly I scatter._

Summer’s vision swam. She was literally walking on her own grave. 

She grabbed at Ruby, felt her daughter hold her up, then Tai’s and Yang’s strong hands. “Sorry,” she said. “Just…a bit much.”

“I told you,” Ruby said sadly.

“No…it’s all right.” She gently took their hands away, and stood straight before her marker. “That’s so weird,” Summer said. “Seeing that. You remembered my favorite poem, Tai.” He could not answer, a hand covering his face. She turned to him, took the hand away. “Tai. _Tai!”_ she shouted. He looked at her, eyes puffy. “I am here. _I am here.”_

Tai hugged her tight. “I know, Summer. I know.”

Yang reached down. “We can probably get it out of there easy enough.”

“No,” Summer told her. “We’ll leave it.”

“Why?” Ruby asked.

Summer hesitated. Why did she want to keep it? “In remembrance.” She smiled at Ruby. “Of how I got lost and found.”

Ruby’s lip trembled. She threw herself into her mother’s embrace. “I love you, Mom!”

"I love you too, honey. I love you all so much."

Yang stood up, and put her hands on her hips in a mock show of irritation. “What, I don’t get a hug?”

Summer grabbed her. “Get over here. Tai, you raised a smartass!” 

That got them laughing. Together again, after so long, the Xiao Long-Rose family looked out over the cliff, holding onto each other, never to be separated again.

What was a sublimely beautiful moment was promptly ruined, by a call from the woods. “Hey! Where the hell is everyone?”

All four of them—five, including Zwei—looked at each other. The voice was unmistakable. “Oh, shit,” Yang said, for all of them. “That’s--”

Qrow Branwen walked out of the woods, half-stooped as usual, collar open, Harbinger at his back, flask in one hand. “There you guys are. Just got in, saw the house was empty, and….” All of them sighed as one, turned as one, and Qrow froze. He blinked, twice. Then he looked at the flask. “What…the…fuck?”

Summer smiled. At least he wasn’t catching her and Tai in a threesome with his twin sister, so things definitely could be worse. “Hello, Qrow.”

“This….this ain’t…”

Ruby smiled. “She’s real, Uncle Qrow! Mom’s back!”

“Short…Short Stack? But you’re…you’re…” Qrow gracefully sank into the grass and unconsciousness.

_Atlas Transit Port_

_Realm of Atlas, World of Remnant_

_The Same Day_

The customs agent took the passport and flipped through it. “Looks to be in order, Miss…” He looked at the name. “Salem Gray?”

“That’s me.”

“Well, that’s all we need here, so—oh, wait a second.” The agent turned a page. “Miss Gray, I’m sorry, but it looks like you’re missing a transit stamp. To leave Atlas, you have to have one.” He shrugged helplessly. “Sorry. You can get them over at the embassy; it only takes about half a day. It’s all these new regulations that General Ironwood has put in.”

Salem suppressed a sigh. “Are you sure, sir? Could you look again?”

“Ma’am, it’s not—“ She gave a minute wave of her fingers. “Oh, huh. There it is!” The agent stamped the passport. “Ma’am, I am so sorry about that. Can’t believe I missed it.”

“No problem, sir.” Salem smiled, batted her eyes coquettishly, and finished making her way through the security checkpoint. As she walked to her boarding gate, she went through a mirrored section, and caught sight of herself, and slowed. It never stopped having an effect on her.

Salem had disguised herself as the way she had looked before Ozma’s death, before the armageddon that followed: a tall, pale-skinned blonde, her hair piled up into a small bun and falling over her shoulders. Blue eyes stared back at her, not red ones. She wore a simple blouse and long skirt, with a small purse slung over one shoulder, what Watts had shown her as being fashionable in Atlas these days. A simple teleportation spell to a secluded part of Mantle, a forged passport courtesy of Arthur Watts, a little bit of magic, and it was child’s play to get to the transit port. Vacuo would be no different.

She smiled at her reflection. Only Ozpin would recognize her, and the chances of him being in Atlas were slim to none. 

Salem walked the rest of the way, showed her (forged) ticket to the gate agent, and waited patiently in the lounge for her flight to be called. It was fairly busy, a rare day in Atlas when the clouds weren’t covering the sun, and Salem contented herself with some people watching. It had been a very long time since she had been out of her realm. Fashions had changed, she’d noticed, but that was to be expected; there was no armor, and very little wool. There were also few openly displayed weapons, though she had to suppress a start at the sight of two Huntsmen making their way down the hall, towards a flight leaving for Vale. Of course, they weren’t hunting _her,_ and even if they were, Salem knew she could level this transit port in minutes.

She willed herself to relax. She was on vacation. Finally. 

Salem wished she could bring out her scryer. She would like to check up on Summer Rose. By now, she was sure, Raven had run off, unable to face her daughter Yang; Summer and Tai would probably be unable to keep their hands off each other, which would disgust her children; Ruby would resent her mother being gone so long; that idiot Qrow Branwen would be drinking himself into a stupor. Chaos. _And just wait until Ozpin finds out!_ Salem thought in glee. 

Ozpin. Salem had thought about it. It would still be ridiculously easy to do. Another illusion spell, and her ticket would be one to Vale. Even if the spell didn’t hold up, she could simply mind control the gate agent. She could be at Beacon in less than six hours. She might not be able to make it all the way to Beacon without being detected, but then again, she might. Then, she'd wait in Ozpin’s office if he wasn't there, waiting for him to come back, with her sitting triumphantly in his chair. 

_And then he’d attack me,_ Salem sighed to herself. They’d destroy Beacon, kill a lot of people, and for what? She was sure a Relic was there, but maybe it wasn’t. Ozpin was a crafty bastard. And at the moment, she really didn’t want to fight him. He’d only reincarnate again, or he’d blast her to pieces, and Salem was getting tired of literally reforming herself. It was boring and it hurt.

_Ah, but what if I was standing there naked?_ She shivered a little. The fantasy was taking shape, but Salem was yanked out of it by the call for her flight. She composed herself, made a quick check of her reflection in a compact—she was fine—and blew out a breath. That little fantasy sounded like fun, but it needed to wait. 

Salem showed her ticket to the steward at the door, then walked onto the airship. This fascinated her; airships had been little more than hydrogen-filled flying bombs the last time she’d ventured out. She’d had some fun blowing those up when a few Huntsmen and Huntresses made the mistake of getting too close to her realm. She settled into a seat—a window seat, naturally, and in first class, because Salem was not about to fly cheap—stretched out as much as she could, and again waited. A young Faunus male sat next to her, and they exchanged nods, but then he was distracted by the safety lecture. Salem ignored it: if the airship crashed, then she’d just walk out of the burning wreckage. And then she’d lay waste to wherever they landed, because no one, _no one_ was going to ruin her vacation. The stewardess warned of what to do in case of Grimm attack, but Salem only idly listened to that in amusement. This was the safest flight in Remnant right now, since no Grimm would dare attack their queen.

Once everyone was situated and strapped in, the airship rose from the floating city and began its flight. The air was smooth, and Salem found herself enjoying the experience. The tundra of Atlas gave way to the sea, dotted with icebergs. She could fly, of course, but this was faster and more fun.

Or at least it was until someone began kicking the back of her seat. Salem ignored it the first time, but then it became more insistent. She glanced behind her: it was a child, old enough to know better but young enough not to care. He was playing some sort of game on his Scroll; if there was a parent, she didn’t see them. He was idly kicking the back of her seat.

This was too much. She wasn’t sure if he was doing it out of boredom or out of malice, but she was the Undead Queen of the Grimm, dammit, and she did _not_ have to take this. Salem, noticing that the seatbelt sign was off, got up, turned around, and leaned across her seat. The boy was now not only kicking her seat, he was kicking the Faunus’ seat at the same time. “Hey,” she said.

The boy looked up at her and took off his earphones. “What do you want, lady?”

She motioned at the game. “You like to play?”

“Yeah, I like to play. What’s it to you?” he sneered.

Salem smiled. “How would you like to play…” She dropped the mask, just for a second. Her eyes went from cerulean blue to blood red, the sclera from white to coal black. “… _outside?”_ Her finger stabbed towards the window.

The boy shrank back into his seat. He shook his head slowly, put his feet on the floor, his hands in his lap, and stayed that way. Salem nodded at him, returned her eyes to normal, and resumed her seat. 

“Thank you,” the Faunus said to her. “I was about to say something.” He hadn’t seen her eyes change.

“How annoying. No child of mine would’ve done something like that.”

“Me neither. My dad would’ve tanned my butt.” He put out a hand. As he turned, she noticed his shirt was slightly open, exposing a rather nice, muscular chest. “May I ask your name?”

Salem mentally shrugged. Not to give it would attract attention, and she really didn’t feel like killing anyone today. “Salem Gray.” She shook his hand.

“Sun Wukong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently there is a Salem/Sun shipping (Flying Monkey). And I thought "Love Hurts" had some crack ships.
> 
> And let's face it...we've all wanted to do what Salem did to that kid.


	6. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow learns that Summer is still alive, and he's just a bit surprised. Ruby and Yang decide to let the rest of Team RWBY in on the secret of their mother's return.
> 
> And Salem? Enjoying her vacation. What? You think she's got a nefarious plan?

_The House of Taiyang Xiao Long (and Summer Rose)_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

Qrow Branwen heard voices, and knew he was dreaming. It pissed him off, because one of the voices was unmistakably Summer Rose’s, and Summer was long dead. He hated dreams about Short Stack; it brought on memories he didn’t want.

Slowly, he came awake, and realized he was lying on Taiyang’s couch; he knew every fold and spring in that thing, because it was where he slept when he visited. He opened his eyes, and his vision slowly focused. 

Summer was bending over him. “Hi there.”

Qrow didn’t react like Ruby had. Instead, he shot straight upwards, hands going for Harbinger, or where Harbinger would be if it wasn’t lying on the floor. “ _Gaaah!”_ he screamed. “What the fuck are you?”

Summer put her hands on her hips. “Really, Qrow? I come back from the dead, and you ask what the eff I am? Language. In front of Ruby and Yang, no less.”

“Yeah, Uncle Qrow, what the fuck?” Yang put in. Summer threw her a Mom Look, and Yang found other things to do.

She turned back to Qrow, who was still trying to claw his way off the couch. “Qrow, stop. It’s me. It’s really me.” It occurred to Summer that she was saying that a lot lately; she needed a better catchphrase.

“But you’re dead.”

She breathed on her hand and then felt her heartbeat. “Hmm. Well, I feel alive.” She smiled at him. “C’mon, Qrow. I’m not dead, I just sort of got…well…displaced in time.”

Qrow finally stopped trying to escape and/or find his weapon. “Yeah? Prove it.”

Tai looked at his daughters and thumbed them towards the door. Both dutifully went outside, and Tai got closer to his former brother-in-law—though they still very much considered each other brothers. “Qrow, if that’s not Summer, then who have I been sleeping with for the past 24 hours?” They had agreed not to mention the threesome to Qrow. It was likely to cause him to drink every ounce of alcohol in the house, including the rubbing alcohol in the medicine cabinet. When they thought about it, Summer and Tai would be tempted to join him. 

“It was Salem,” Summer explained. “She captured me, but said she would spare my life because I was a mother, and once, apparently, so was she. So all she did was send me forward in time 13 years. I woke up near Raven’s camp, and she brought me here.”

“Raven?” Qrow asked. “Where’s she at?”

“She left yesterday,” Tai said. “We don’t exactly get along, and with Yang…”

“Yeah.” Qrow sat up. “I imagine that talk didn’t go well.” He searched his pockets for his flask, and for once, Tai was happy to throw it to him. Qrow was going to need a lot of stiff drinks, and he took one. “So she threw you forward in time 13 years. I guess I can buy that. Can’t believe Salem would show any kind of mercy.”

“Oh yeah,” Summer replied bitterly, “mercy. Now I have to try to be a mother to two daughters I don’t even know anymore. Reconnect with a husband—and someone who might as well be my brother—I haven’t seen in over a decade. I’ve missed 13 precious years, Qrow, and I’m beginning to wonder if Salem figured that was far more cruel than just killing me.” She sighed. “Well, enough of that crap. I’m here, and I’ll be damned if I let that witch get me down.” Then she smiled. “So ‘what the fuck are you’ is all the greeting I’m going to get?”

Qrow put the flask down, and finally there was that lopsided grin of his she’d missed so much. “Hell no, Short Stack. It’s damn fine to see you.” He crushed her in an embrace, and wasn’t too proud to cry.

Ruby kicked a rock. “Hate to be treated like a kid.”

Yang threw a stick for Zwei to chase. “Take it easy, Ruby. To Mom, we still _are_ kids. I mean, how would you like waking up 13 years from now?”

Her sister shrugged and put her hands under her small bust. “At least then I’d have bigger boobs. Though since Mom can wear my clothes _and_ my bras, maybe I won’t. You got lucky, Yang. You inherited Raven’s rack.”

Yang glared at Ruby. “Ruby, don’t talk about her.”

“Well, seeing her naked was not really the best—“

“Ruby.” Yang’s voice was low, which was one step from her eyes going red and her hair bursting into flame. “I mean it.”

“Fine.” Ruby took a breath. It was for the best. Yang was going to have to open that can of worms at some point, but it didn’t have to be today. She changed the subject. “Hey. Do you think we should call Weiss and Blake? Or…maybe even invite them here?”

“Make it a surprise?” Yang smiled, her anger dissipating. 

“I don’t know. I’m sure Mom’s getting tired of people passing out when they see her.”

Yang laughed. “Weiss and Blake don’t know Mom, so I doubt they’d pass out. But I’d love for Mom to meet Team RWBY in all its awesome glory.”

“Me too.” Ruby walked back to the house and stuck her head through the open door. She saw her mother and Uncle Qrow hugging, so apparently it was all right. And Ruby knew exactly how to word her request. “Moooom!” she exclaimed, in her best little girl voice. “I wanna have my friends over for a sleepover tonight. That okay?”

Summer broke free of Qrow’s embrace. “Your friends?”

Ruby went back to her normal voice. “My team. Beacon’s not that far off. They could get here by the afternoon, if Dad wants to go get them at the transit port.”

Tai nodded. “I could do that. Heck, sounds like fun.” He gave Ruby a sly look. “And don’t tell them why.”

Ruby returned her father the same sly look. “Oh, I wasn’t going to.” She looked to her mother. “Well?”

“If your father doesn’t have a problem with it, then neither do I. Qrow?” He shrugged; he didn’t mind, and he hadn’t met Team RWBY in person yet himself. 

“Cool!” Ruby pulled out her Scroll.

Weiss Schnee was humming as she vacuumed the dorm room of Team RWBY. Contrary to popular belief, Weiss not only knew how to clean a room, she actually enjoyed doing it. It was a lesson instilled in her by her sister Winter and her chief butler, Klein Sieben. _Just because you’re an heiress doesn’t mean you can’t clean your own room, young lady,_ Klein told her one day, and Weiss had to clean her own room—though Klein did help. She didn’t like it at first, but complaining to her parents wouldn’t have made a difference, since Jacques and Willow didn’t care. Gradually, she grew to like doing it, as it was one aspect of her life where she wasn’t treated like a doll.

Blake Belladonna, on the other hand, was not humming. Her face was buried in _Ninjas of Love VI: Death Takes a Vacation._ Blake wasn’t actually reading it; her Faunus instincts were telling her to leap out of the window because of the vacuum, and she was trying to fight them off. Besides, they were on the third floor. Weiss’ Scroll buzzed, and Blake yelled “Weiss! Scroll!” She didn’t hear her, so Blake rolled off her bed and grabbed it. The Scroll read RUBY, so Blake hit the button with one hand and grabbed Weiss’ ponytail with the other.

“What the _hell?_ ” Weiss screamed. She tried to get loose, but the Faunus only tightened her grip. Finally she shut off the vacuum. “Blake, I swear—“

“Team RWBY Residence, Blake speaking.” Blake ignored Weiss, but did let go of her ponytail. “Hello, fearless leader.” She put the aforementioned fearless leader on speaker.

“Hi yourself,” Ruby replied. “Hey, are you guys up for a short vacation?”

“Normally I’d say no, but Weiss has turned into a cleaning machine in the last 24 hours, and frankly, it’s scaring me.” Blake didn’t want to admit it, but in actuality, she was bored stiff. With Sun and most other people she knew gone, it was her, Weiss and Team JNPR. Weiss had become obsessed with cleaning, and if she played one more game of Compost King with Team JNPR, she was going to stuff a plastic cow down Jaune Arc’s throat. “What did you have in mind? I thought you were at your Dad’s.”

“I am! But Patch isn’t that far, so want to come out and spend a few days with us?” Blake wasn’t sure how to answer. It wasn’t a bad idea, but on the other hand, the dorm room had been pretty quiet without the Rose-Xiao Long sisters in residence. “We can pay for your flight, if we have to, and Dad can pick you up from the transit port.”

“Ruby Rose, I am a Schnee!” Weiss huffed. “I can pay for my own flight, thank you very much, and Blake’s!”

Blake suspected that Ruby had taken Weiss’ pride into account, and knew damn good and well that she wasn’t going to have to pay for anyone’s flight. “I think that’s a yes,” Blake replied. She looked to Weiss for confirmation, and the Schnee heiress rolled her eyes and shrugged, which was close enough for government work. 

“Awesome! There’s a flight out of Vale in about an hour, and that puts you guys here this afternoon. We’re gonna have a great time and…” Ruby chuckled “…Yang and me have a surprise for you guys. See ya!” The line clicked off. 

Blake and Weiss stared at each other. “I suppose it might be fun,” Weiss said. “Clean country air and all that. But what’s this about a surprise?”

“With Ruby, it could mean anything from a fresh batch of cookies to a full-sized Grimm army.” Blake opened the closet and got out her suitcase. “Well, better start packing.”

“Of course.” Weiss went to another closet and pulled out three suitcases.

“They’re going to come over!” Ruby exclaimed happily. “Oh, Mom, you’re going to love them! They’re great people. I mean, Blake can be a little…”

“Grumpy,” Yang finished.

“Yeah, and Weiss can be—“

“—a bitch,” Yang finished that, too. 

Ruby snorted. “Yang, don’t be like that.”

“What? She can be! I mean, she’s better than she used to be, when you blew her up—“

“That was an accident!”

Summer laughed. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. She’d even missed their arguments. “Girls, I have an idea.” Yang and Ruby stopped yelling at each other. “Something we haven’t done in a long time.” She motioned them into the kitchen, and opened a cabinet, pulling out a tube of cookie mix. “I seem to recall I made you two a promise. I’m really late, but…”

Ruby and Yang let out a cheer and charged their mother. Summer laughed again, and Qrow and Tai, watching, had to wipe their eyes. 

_Cannon Beach_

_Kingdom of Vacuo, World of Remnant_

_The Same Day_

Salem leaned back in her patio chair and stretched out her long legs. All her problems seemed to drift off. This was _exactly_ what she needed, and she wondered why she had denied herself it so long. She adjusted the sun shade, to make sure it covered most of her body. Under the illusion, she was still the Undead Queen of Grimm, and while the sun would not kill her or set her on fire (she wasn’t _that_ kind of undead), it could cause her skin to rot if she remained in direct sunlight for too long. But the shade was fine, at least for a few hours, and the reflected sun felt quite good. In her realm, the sun rarely penetrated the permanent cloud cover, and even then, it gave little warmth. Idly, Salem wondered if the lack of sunlight was what caused her periodic bouts of depression. 

She looked down at herself, then at the other people on the crowded beach. Fashions had changed since she had been out before: the last time, swimsuits were one-piece affairs that stretched from neck to mid-hip; showing one’s knees and shoulder blades was considered the height of risque. Now men and women were fairly close to being naked; some of the female swimsuits were little more than thin straps hiding nipples and vaginas. Nudity did not bother Salem—she occasionally walked around her castle naked, mainly to amuse herself; Watts and Hazel always looked away, while Tyrian drooled openly—but she wondered why these women even bothered. For herself, she had chosen something called a bikini, with a fairly modest top and bottoms, though the latter was high-cut in the Vacuo style. A wide hat, sunglasses and sandals completed her ensemble. 

The hotel she was staying at was not one of the more luxurious ones, but Salem did not want to be too high profile. It was still nice, and cheap. Not that she worried about money—she had brought gold coins that she cashed in for lien at the transit port, and if something was too expensive, she’d just use illusions or outright mind control to get what she wanted. For now, there was no reason to do that. 

Salem settled herself in her chair a little more, and smiled inwardly at the looks she got from some of the males. Yes, she _had_ been quite the catch, back in the day, when she’d looked like this; one reason she’d been imprisoned in her tower. Ozma had fallen in love with her at first sight. _No,_ Salem thought to herself, _don’t think about him._ But still, one liked to be stared at. 

That got Salem thinking. Certainly, relaxing was fun, and later she’d go for a swim—she’d always liked swimming, and swimming in the black tar pits of her realm just didn’t have the same appeal—and perhaps peruse the bookstores for something she hadn’t read. But other than that, and sleeping, what else was she planning to do? The novelty would wear off kind of quick, she knew, and when she got bored, Salem had a tendency to do things like create Grimm or start manipulating people into worshiping her. 

But taking a lover?

Salem gave it more thought. She had taken others since Ozma, of course; she hadn’t been lying to Summer Rose when she had said one got lonely after a few hundred years, and there were only so many toys to be used. (Also contrary to popular belief, Salem had never used a Grimm to relieve sexual tension. That was just gross, and it would hurt.) So she had taken lovers—venturing out of her realm on occasion, captured Huntsmen and Huntresses that she disposed of when they were boring her, and the odd minion or two. But it had been awhile, longer than she’d like to admit, and none of her current faction appealed to her. Watts was too weird, Hazel too depressing, Mercury was too much into murder, and Tyrian…Salem shuddered at that thought. Of course, Salem had female lovers in the past as well, but Cinder and Emerald, while tempting, just weren’t doing it for her. There was an old saying about not fishing in the company pond, after all. 

Vacuo was another thing entirely. It had been awhile, and maybe a fling or two would put everything back into perspective. She’d been thinking far too much about Ozpin lately, and Salem admitted to herself that maybe what she needed was just to get laid. No one here would know her, no one here was likely to object, and she could just leave, rather than reducing them to a black stain on her floor so whoever it was couldn’t lead others back to her realm. An odd thought popped into her head as to why she’d spared Summer Rose when she’d killed so many others, but Salem contented herself with the thought that sparing her was a fate worse than death. 

_I’m not starting to regrow a conscience,_ Salem snapped at herself. _I’m not._ Still, it was going to be kind of sad when the Brothers returned and wiped out all these laughing, playing people, especially the children. She felt bad for them most of all. Just for a moment, a young family playing in the surf was replaced with herself, Ozma, and their daughters. _They loved the water,_ Salem remembered, and hating the fact that she remembered. 

“Hey, Miss Gray?”

Salem jumped, startled. “What? Oh.” She searched her memory; who was this person? _Oh yes, the Faunus from the airship._ “Mr. Wukong.” She looked up at him, and Salem blinked. Sun Wukong was wearing tight swimsuit bottoms, a small surfboard under one arm, still wet from the ocean. Her eyes traveled down the well-toned muscles, the strong legs, the handsome face. To her utter surprise, she found herself unable to speak for a moment, and old stirrings she’d thought were well-dormant began to surface again. Without meaning to, her eyes went straight to his crotch, and under the yellow shorts, it seemed Mr. Wukong was doing all right for himself. _Oh my,_ Salem thought, _you just might do nicely._ The fact he was a Faunus, with a restless monkey tail behind him, did not bother her in the least. Salem was non-discriminatory in both lovers and victims. Besides, the tail had possibilities. 

“You seemed kind of lonely just sitting here by yourself. Want some company?”

“Actually,” Salem said with a genuine smile, “I was a bit thirsty.” She pointed to a beach bar. “Do you like pina coladas?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And getting caught in the rain?


	7. Night Moves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team RWBY meets Summer Rose, and much fun is had. But something Blake says bothers Yang...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was going to have more Salem (and some Raven), but it ended up getting too long with the RWBY reunion. Ah well. Salem's seduction of Sun (or the other way around) will have to wait until next chapter.

_The House of Taiyang Xiao Long (and Summer Rose)_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_Later That Day_

“My house isn’t all that much,” Taiyang said as Zippy bounced along the dirt road. Zippy was the Xiao Long family car, and to put it mildly, it was no limousine. It was, however, reliable, and had somehow survived teaching Yang how to drive. “It’s not going to impress you two much, I imagine.”

“How so?” Blake asked. Talking helped lessen the fear. After driving with the father, she knew where Yang had gotten her lead foot from.

“Well, it’s certainly not something a Schnee heiress would find attractive. Or the daughter of Ghira and Kali Belladonna.”

Blake smiled. “I guess Ruby told you.”

“No, but I knew your mom and dad a little, back in the day. Aside from the fact you’ve got long hair, Blake, you look a lot like your mama. Ruby _did_ mention you were a Faunus, but that’s not an issue with this family.”

“And you needn’t worry about me, Mr. Xiao Long,” Weiss put in. “Trust me, I’ve learned to rough it over the past few months with your daughters.” She smiled as well. “They’ve taught me the value of it. Have you met any of my family, sir?”

“Saw your father once, from a distance. I understand Qrow—Ruby and Yang’s uncle—knows your sister.”

“Does he? Interesting.” Weiss didn’t know Winter knew any of Ruby or Yang’s family. 

They rounded the corner. “And here we are.” Taiyang slammed on the brakes, nearly catapulting Blake into the glove compartment and throwing gravel everywhere, then gently guided Zippy into the garage. “I’ll get your bags,” Tai told them, and Weiss and Blake left the garage, just in time to get hit by a red guided missile named Ruby Rose. “Weiss! Blake!” she screamed in happiness. “You made it!”

“Of course we made it,” Weiss replied. “Why wouldn’t we have?” But she returned the hug all the same.

"Well, you were driving with Dad..."

Yang came out of the front door. “’Sup, Weissy! Hey, Blakey!” She walked over and hugged both of them as well. “Glad you came out. We’re gonna have a blast.”

Blake’s nose wrinkled. “Is that…fresh cookies?” Contrary to popular belief at Beacon, Blake did like more than just fish.

“Yup!” Yang shared a quick glance with Ruby, and sprung the surprise. “Mom, me, and Ruby have been baking all day.”

“Sure smells good,” Blake said. She didn’t get it, mainly because it was such a commonplace word and Yang had kept a straight face.

“It does, and—“ It hit Weiss. “Just a moment. You said your…mom?”

“ _Our_ mom,” Ruby grinned hugely.

The light dawned on Blake. “Wait. You said your mom had died when you guys were kids.”

That was as good a cue as Summer had ever heard. She stepped out onto the porch, wearing an apron over her clothes. “Rumors of my death, ladies…have been greatly exaggerated.”

Ruby bowed and swept her hands out. “Ta-da. Team RWBY, I give you…Summer Rose! Our mom!”

“Back from the dead, assholes!” Yang exulted.

“Yang, language.” Summer gave a half-bow. “Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, welcome to our home.”

Blake and Weiss stared at Summer; naturally, there was no doubt this was Ruby’s mother, and they knew that Yang and Ruby were half-sisters. Then they looked at each other, and then back to Summer. “Well,” was all Weiss said. 

Dinner was a success, Summer thought. It took getting the extra leaf for the table out of storage, but that was a small price to pay. Tai had gone back into town and gotten fresh fish, and Summer had whipped up grilled salmon with salad and bacon bits. Everyone ate well, even Qrow, and she wondered if Blake was starving, the way she stared at her meal and then devoured it as if someone was going to steal it from her. Nor was she shy about going back for seconds. The presence of Zwei unsettled her for a bit, but the corgi left her alone…mainly because Weiss kept feeding him table scraps.

Afterwards, they retired to the living room for coffee and cookies, and for a chance for Team RWBY to tell their stories. Summer watched and listened as her daughters regaled her with stories of their adventures—the first day at Beacon (it was clear Ozpin hadn’t changed), the fight with the Grimm (that worried her despite herself), and the fight with Torchwick and the White Fang (which worried her more; Grimm were one thing, but terrorists were thinking, sentient beings, which were always more dangerous). Tai sat next to her on the sofa, an arm around her shoulders, and Qrow had taken the rocking chair, where he occasionally sipped from his flask—but far less, Tai noted, than he usually did. The girls were scattered on the floor. 

Summer, for her part, was very content. It was obvious Team RWBY was indeed a team, even when Weiss rolled her eyes at a clear exaggeration by Ruby, or Blake groaned at Yang’s puns. It fascinated her: two girls from Patch, which was considered a backwater by most of Remnant, teamed with the heiress to the vast Schnee fortune, and the daughter of one of the most prominent Faunus families in Menagerie. Of course, Team STRQ had been thrown together from various walks of life too, and if Ruby’s description of Team JNPR was any indication, Ozpin had not lost his touch. 

Over dinner, Summer had told them her story and why she was still alive, careful to leave out most of Salem’s backstory that she knew. As far as Team RWBY needed to know, Salem was just some old crone who lived in a cabin in the woods somewhere, who knew a lot of magic and got lucky against an experienced Huntress. She also left out the power of her silver eyes; that was something she needed to talk to Ruby about, and soon. 

“More coffee?” Qrow asked, getting up. 

“I’ll take some, please,” Summer replied and held out her cup. “More creamer as well.”

“You’re the only person that can drink that stuff,” Qrow told her, but did as she asked. 

“Miss Rose—“ Weiss began.

“Please, Weiss, call me Summer,” she said. “Otherwise we’ll confuse Ruby.”

“Ruby _is_ easily confused,” Weiss confirmed.

“Hey!” Ruby threw a cookie at her, but Weiss snatched it out of midair. “Summer,” she continued, “what are your plans now?”

“That’s a good question.” She accepted the cup of coffee, with liberal amounts of cream, from Qrow. 

“Professor Ozpin would probably make you an instructor. Does he know that you’re back?” Blake asked.

“Not…yet.” Summer knew at some point she was going to have to meet with the headmaster of Beacon, and she was not really looking forward to it. “But that’s a possibility, perhaps. Instructor. Though I think I might go to Signal instead—closer to home.”

“Atlas would accept you,” Weiss stated.

“Too far away.” _And far too stuffy,_ Summer added to herself. Weiss Schnee seemed to have at least not inherited Atlas’ snootiness. 

“What about being a Huntress again?” This from Yang.

Summer leaned back against the sofa, and took a sip of coffee. “No,” she stated firmly. “I’ve done my last mission.”

“But the Grimm are still out there,” Qrow argued, though there was no conviction in it. “And so is Salem.”

“No,” Summer repeated, quietly but clearly not in the mood for argument. “I gave up my family for 13 years because of that, Qrow. No. More.” 

“Easy.” He put his hands up. 

“Sorry,” she apologized. Summer stared at her reflection in her coffee. She was making the right choice. What more could she give to Remnant, other than her life? That thought was a physical pain. To come back only to be taken away again? _No,_ she thought. There was nothing in Remnant worth that. Not Grimm, not White Fang, not Salem. 

After a rousing game of Cards Against Grimm, which Qrow won, it was time for bed. It was a bit early for Ruby and Yang, who were notorious night owls, but the excitement of the day had even them yawning. Qrow took the couch, where Zwei curled up next to him, while Summer and Tai made up beds on the floor for Weiss and Blake. Almost inevitably, Weiss ended up in the same room with Ruby, and Blake with Yang. Summer insisted on kissing them all on the cheek, then getting a picture of Team RWBY together, then she and Tai retired. 

The house quieted, and the sounds of the Patch forest closed in. Grimm were rare on Patch, and none had been seen in awhile; apparently, some instinct warned them that this was the house of at least one Huntsman, and they stayed away. Qrow kept Harbinger within arm’s reach, just in case, and Team RWBY’s weapons were close to them as well. 

Weiss listened to the forest noises. Aside from supervised camping trips to Atlas’ frozen interior, she’d never been camping before. She thought the noises might bother her, but they were rather soothing. The sleeping bag was surprisingly comfortable. 

“Weiss?” Ruby’s voice was barely above a whisper. “You awake?”

“No,” she replied.

Ruby leaned over the side of her bed. “Don’t be mean.” She paused. “What do you think of Mom?”

“You’re definitely her daughter.” Weiss realized Ruby might take that as an insult, when she didn’t really mean it as such. “She’s interesting, Ruby.”

“You said I was interesting once,” Ruby growled. “And you weren’t exactly giving me a compliment.”

“At the time, you _were_ trying to eat a cookie with your nose.” Weiss turned over to face her battle partner. “No, I mean she is genuinely interesting. The way she carries herself. She’s motherly—I can tell that.” _Mainly because she’s a lot different than_ my _mother,_ Weiss thought sourly. “But she doesn’t so much walk as glide. When she hears something, she’s instantly alert. And when I dropped my coffee cup, she caught it before it touched the floor.” Weiss didn’t feel like adding that she had deliberately done that, just to test Summer Rose. “For this Salem to have captured her, she must be quite a powerful witch.”

“Yeah. Wow,” Ruby breathed. To her, of course, Summer was Mom; she’d never really noticed any of that. Weiss, without the familial bias, had. “What about Dad and Uncle Qrow?”

“Is this an interrogation?” Ruby gave her a dirty look, so Weiss indulged her friend. “Your Uncle Qrow is…well, to be honest…”

“He’s a slob,” Ruby put in.

“Yes. And he drinks too much. He smells like a brewery that’s been bombed. However, whatever his drinking habits may be, he too is a skilled Huntsman. He carries himself quite well. Drunk or sober, I would hate to face him.” Weiss thought for a moment. “Your father is also quite impressive. Good, strong man. You say his Semblance and fighting style is hand to hand?” Ruby nodded. “Fascinating. Taking on Grimm hand to hand is nearly suicidal, even augmented like Yang is. But his driving aside, I can tell he dotes on you and Yang.” Once more, Weiss fought down the hatred that welled up. She wished _she_ had a father like that. 

Unknown to Weiss, Ruby could see the pain in her friend’s eyes. Weiss wasn’t quite as good at disguising her emotions as she thought. “Hey, Weiss.”

“I haven’t gone anywhere.”

“You tired?”

“We were trying to get to sleep, I thought.”

“I thought I was tired, but now, not so much.” 

Weiss snorted. “The cookies are kicking in.”

Ruby ignored that. “Wellll…I was thinking.” She leaned over, looking down at her friend. “You wanna build a tent?”

“A tent? In here?” At Ruby’s enthusiastic nod, Weiss blew out her breath. “So we can scarf down cookies that you undoubtedly squirreled away in this room, read comics by flashlight, and possibly tell ghost stories, as if we were ten years old and not on the cusp of adulthood? Possibly even paint our nails and talk about cute boys, not that we know of any?”

Ruby gave her another dirty look. “There’s Jaune.”

“Yuck. Besides, trying to get to Jaune means invoking the wrath of the Invincible Girl of Mistral.”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, yeah.” She sighed. “So no tent.”

Just once in her life, Weiss had built a tent in her room, when she was nine, and she and Winter had shared it one night, Winter teaching her how to braid hair, Klein sneaking them gingerbread, and reading spooky stories so absurd they were laughing more than being frightened. Their father had disapproved of them showing such “childish” behavior, and that was that. Her eyes glittered, and she grinned up at Ruby. “Hell yes, let’s build a tent!”

Ruby let out a quiet cheer and grabbed the covers off her bed, while Weiss, with a young Huntress’ stealth, grabbed some chairs.

Blake was sound asleep. The forest noises reminded her of Menagerie, and she fell asleep almost instantly…much to Yang’s chagrin. “Blake,” she hissed. “Blakey!” The Faunus girl didn’t move. Yang noticed she’d taken off her ribbon; the house was safe enough, and clearly she wasn’t fooling anyone. Her cat ears lay within arm’s reach from Yang’s bed. Yang smiled slowly and craftily, reached out, and rubbed one of the ears. It twitched, Blake mumbled something in her sleep, then turned over. 

That just encouraged Yang. She got out from under the covers, crawled halfway down her bed, and ran a finger over the same ear. Once more, it twitched, and once more, Blake did not wake up. On impulse, Yang reached out and rubbed Blake’s hair between her ears, as gently as she could. She stifled a giggle when Blake began making noises in the back of her throat. _Oh my gods,_ Yang thought, trying not to laugh, _she’s purring! Well, answers that question._

Yang wanted Blake to wake up, though, and the purring was actually starting to make _her_ sleepy; she remembered that purring was also a way cats put their food to sleep. So she increased the pressure, messed with the ear some more, and finally Blake’s yellow eyes, luminous in the half-darkness of the room, opened. “What…Yang…what the hell…”

“Hey. You want to talk?”

“About what…” Blake tried to get out of arm’s reach, but she was hemmed in between Yang’s bed and the wall.

“I dunno. Just talk. You know, about…boys or something. I mean, I’ve had a few boyfriends, and I’m sure you have. We can compare notes or something.” Blake visibly cringed at that. Yang just wanted to stay up a bit longer—it seemed a sin to go to bed this early in a sleepover, whether she and Blake were 17 or not. “Hell, we can talk about sex.”

“Sex?” Blake rolled back onto her back. “Why sex?”

“When you’re in your underwear and staring at the ceiling, what do _you_ think about?”

“I don’t usually think about sex.”

Yang smirked. “I bet you do. I bet if I went through your suitcase...you’ve got smut in there right now.”

“I…no, I don’t!” It was a lie, and both of them knew it. _Ninjas of Love VI_ and _Ninjas of Love VII: The Forbidden Dance of Two Kunoichi_ were both in her suitcase. 

“I could go look.” Yang got up.

Blake was frantic. It’s not that she was ashamed of her love for the _Ninja_ series, but the fact that Yang would mercilessly rib her about it for weeks. The last time Yang had gotten her hands on one of Blake’s books, she had read it aloud to Team RWBY. Ruby and Weiss were howling with laughter, while Blake turned the same shade as Crescent Rose and wanted to die. The thought of Yang reading it aloud again made her blood run cold. “Fine!” she said. “We can talk about boys and sex or whatever!”

Yang knew she had Blake on the run. As Professor Port taught, always press the advantage on a beaten foe. “Oh, come on, Blakey. Let me look at what you brought. What was the one I read? _Ninjas of Love IV?_ That one had a three…some.” She barely finished the sentence as the memory of her parents, all of them, having sex right in front of her rose up in her mind. 

Port also taught to put your opponent off balance, and Blake seized the opportunity. “So what boys do you like, Yang? Jaune? Sun? _Cardin?”_

That at least distracted Yang, both from the book and the threesome. “Ugh. I wouldn’t screw Cardin with Weiss’ vagina. Jaune’s too much of a wimp, and I don’t want to have Pyrrha cut my throat in the middle of the night. Geez, I wish those two would bang and get it over with.” Yang flopped back down on the bed. “Sun’s damn fine, but I think he’s interested in you.”

“Just because we’re both Faunus?”

“No, because he wants that Bellabooty.” Yang counterattacked. “What about you, Blakey? You want yourself some monkey?”

Truth to tell, Blake had thought about Sun, but she was pretty sure every girl in Beacon who was straight, and probably the ones who weren’t, had thought about Sun. And, in the darkest part of the night (or the shower stall at their dorm room in Beacon), Blake _had_ thought about getting herself some monkey. 

This was getting a little too personal, and Blake needed to get Yang off-balance again. “You know, this is going to sound weird, but your dad is…well…kind of hot.”

“My _what?”_ Yang exclaimed. “He’s _what?”_

“Yeah,” Blake said, injecting just the right amount of longing into her voice, “he’s pretty good looking for a man of a certain age. To have landed someone like Summer…and to stay faithful to her memory like that. It’s really impressive. Girls like that in a guy, you know? At least you know your Dad isn’t just banging anything that moves.”

“You have no idea.” 

Blake rested her head on a hand, facing Yang’s bed. “Oh? I bet he cut a swath through Beacon. Probably was pulling in _all_ the ladies. I bet he had a harem. And of all those, he chose Summer Rose. It’s romantic.”

Yang thought about telling Blake the truth, though she _had_ heard Qrow giving Taiyang the business about all the women he’d snagged at Beacon, before he’d married Raven. She’d always thought Qrow exaggerated—this was Dad they were talking about, and he was no heartthrob. “Never mind. Go to sleep, Blake.” She made a big show of turning over.

Blake laughed softly. “Okay, okay.” She got in one last shot. “Wonder if it runs in the family?” She waited a half-second, just long enough for Yang to process that. “I mean, Ruby inherited Summer’s personality, to be sure, but you inherited your dad’s. Surprised _you_ don’t have a harem by now, Yang.” Blake turned over, stifling snickers. That would teach Yang to mess with her ears and threaten her smut.

The Faunus was soon back to sleep, but Yang was awake awhile longer. She realized Blake was just messing with her, and her anger faded; after all, Blake didn’t know about Raven, and the chances of Blake being attracted to Tai were about the same as this Salem witch character getting laid. _Withered up old crone bitch,_ Yang growled to herself. One day she was going to ram Ember Celica down that old hag’s throat for taking Summer away. _And_ making her think about Raven. 

But Blake’s words, even meant in jest, still bugged her. _Surprised you don’t have a harem by now._ Yang’s sexual experience, despite the confident, assured persona she showed the world, actually consisted of one fumbling attempt her last week at Signal. It hadn’t taken much to convince the boy to leave their prom and go back to his place, where his parents weren’t home; even then, when Yang was 15, she was more developed than her peers. He hadn’t lasted long, and though he had at least made Yang feel pretty good and she could now brag truthfully that she wasn’t a virgin, it wasn’t exactly a great first sexual experience. She’d had more enjoyment from toys. 

And, as much as she regretted to think it, she wanted more. At her age, Taiyang was already engaged to Raven, who might be a complete bitch, Yang thought, but was certainly a knockout. Summer was a very close second place. And he’d had both of them _at the same time._ Yang wondered if that had been the first time three out of the four of Team STRQ had gotten it on, or it was revisiting a favorite for old time’s sake. And if Uncle Qrow was right, Blake was: Tai had been pulling all kinds of women. Yang found herself wondering if Glynda Goodwitch was on Tai’s list of conquests.

Yang stared at the ceiling, listening to Blake softly breathe. She clenched a fist. By all the gods, she was going to have a harem. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What hath Blake wrought?


	8. Ships Passing Through the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven discusses Yang with Vernal. Yang starts to think about her harem, with some surprise entrants. Ruby sleeps with Weiss. Ilia thinks of Blake. 
> 
> And you thought "Love Hurts" had some ships.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wish these characters would stop grabbing my story and making it serious. Luckily, Yang can always be counted on to get things back on track. Sort of.
> 
> NOTE: After some thinking and running it past my beta readers, I decided to eliminate the scene with Adam Taurus. On second thought, I just don't know if I can write him funny without it coming off as very creepy. There's a reason even RWBY Chibi wouldn't touch him.

_Branwen Bandit Tribe Encampment_

_Somewhere in Haven, World of Remnant_

_The Same Night_

Raven Branwen lay back in her bed. As the chieftess of her band, she was entitled to a very big tent, and inside, a rather luxurious bed by their standards. It was essentially a futon, covered in silk sheets and big pillows, and large enough to comfortably sleep five. Normally there were at most two in her bed; despite her most recent sexual experience, Raven tended to be monogamous, at least for a time. She would take a lover, keep them for a few months to a year, then discard them in favor of another. There were no hard feelings, and to be chosen as one of Raven’s lovers was considered an honor. In between lovers, she might have one-night stands, but that was all. It would take a long dry spell (and a lot of booze) to get her to engage in more than one person at a time. Or, apparently, a friend she hadn't seen in 13 years.

Raven leaned back against the pillows, dressed only in a light yukata. She toyed with the belt. When it was quiet, like this, she usually started thinking, and more often as not, her thoughts would either drive her to the bottle—drinking was not exclusive to one part of the Branwen family—or into her bird form for a moonlight flight. She was debating which one she wanted to do when Vernal walked in. Raven’s assistant, Vernal was the only one allowed unrestricted access to Raven at any time. She was also Raven’s lover.

“I’m sorry about that, Raven,” Vernal apologized as she drew the tent flap secure. “Some Grimm on the northern perimeter. Nothing to worry about—just small fry. We already took care of it.”

“Next time let me know,” Raven said harshly. “Grimm are never nothing to worry about.”

“Yes, ma’am.” In public, Vernal never referred to Raven by her name, but the chieftess preferred it in private.

Raven watched idly as Vernal stripped off her clothes. She was about Yang’s age, with a smaller bust, one in proportion to her short height; her brown hair was cropped so close that she was occasionally mistaken as male. There was no hidden meaning to that; Vernal just liked to keep her hair out of the way when using her crescent blades. Fairly quickly, the young woman was naked, and she climbed into the bed with Raven. She smiled at her chieftess. “Tired?”

“Not particularly.”

“Good. Me neither.” Vernal reached over and pulled the yukata’s belt free, then opened it up. She gently ran a finger over one nipple, which slowly hardened under her ministrations. Raven only looked down. Vernal bent over to kiss it, but Raven stopped her. “Vernal,” she asked. “Could you just…” Unable to really put it into words, she used her hands to demonstrate: she wanted Vernal to straddle her.

“Sure,” Vernal said, her smile getting bigger. “Feeling a bit adventurous tonight?” Raven did not reply, and once Vernal was kneeling on either side of her hips, Raven told her to hold still. “Let me look at you,” she instructed, and Vernal did as asked. Tanned skin, breasts topped with brownish nipples, short height, pubic hair brown and only slightly trimmed, thin but muscular legs.

Not at all like Summer Rose.

Vernal watched those red eyes roam over her, and felt herself getting even more aroused, but knew something was not right. She carefully reached down and ran a finger across Raven’s folds, and even delicately put a finger inside. Vernal got off of Raven, walked to a rack where her clothes hung, pulled off a short robe, and put it on. “What are you doing?” Raven asked.

“Raven,” Vernal said, “you’re not in the mood.”

“Who says?”

“Your own body.” She held up her fingers. “You’re not in the least wet.”

Raven looked away. “No, I suppose not.”

Vernal crawled into bed next to her chieftess, curling up next to her. “When you got back this morning, you hauled me in here to make love to me. I appreciated it, but I noticed something.” She leaned against Raven’s arm. “Your body was with me, but you weren’t.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Raven despised flowery words. 

“It means, you were trying to fill something, and it wasn’t your vajajay.” Vernal sighed again. “It’s that woman, isn’t it? Summer Rose?”

“You’re not being replaced, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Vernal shrugged. “That’s your choice, Raven. But something tells me that you’re in love with this Summer Rose, but she isn’t in love with you.” She chuckled. “It’s my Spring Maiden powers.”

Raven laughed at that. Vernal was not the Spring Maiden, but it was her job to make everyone think she was. The actual Spring Maiden was Raven herself, powers stolen like everything else that had made the Branwen Tribe strong and untouchable. Even Salem had to take her seriously now. 

“Am I right?” Vernal asked.

“Partially. Summer is my friend, not my lover, but…we…well…shared my ex-husband. Her husband, now.” Vernal looked at her very quizzically, and Raven felt herself blushing, and hated it. “All right. I’ve told you who Salem is, and you heard Summer explain how Salem displaced her in time for 13 years. What you don’t know—what I didn’t know either, and neither did Tai—was that Salem left her a little ‘gift.’ As soon as Summer saw Tai, she went berserk with lust.”

“Oh, I get it,” Vernal said. “And next thing you know, she’s riding her man—your former man—right in front of you.”

“Well…in a matter of speaking, yes. But there’s a little more to it than that.” Raven put her hands over her eyes in shame. “She was riding him all right, but he was eating me out at the same time.” There was silence, and Raven looked over at Vernal. The other woman was biting into a pillow, trying not to burst into laughter. “What? What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Vernal struggled out. “But I can see that would be so awkward!” Then she couldn’t resist any longer, and began giggling so hard she was pounding the bed with a fist.

“Oh, ha ha,” Raven grumbled. “But if you want to know why I’m dry as the Vacuo desert tonight, that’s why.”

“Because you got reminded why you married your ex in the first place?” Vernal stopped laughing, but her blue eyes were still shining with humor. “I bet he’s good in the sack. Why did he leave you?”

“He didn’t,” Raven said softly. “I left him.”

Vernal nodded, now completely seriously. “Because he was in love with this Summer chick?”

“No. Summer stayed out of the way. When I left, she stepped in to help with the baby, and one thing led to another.”

“Baby?”

Raven was tempted to tell Vernal to go to sleep and it was none of her damn business, but she needed to talk to someone, and Vernal was the only person in the tribe she remotely trusted. “I have a daughter, Vernal. About your age. I thought I wanted a family, but after Tai knocked me up and the baby wrecked my figure, and I started realizing what a pain it would be to raise her…no more missions, no more fighting Grimm for awhile, and I was already planning on coming here and taking control of the tribe…” Raven closed her eyes. “I hated that baby, Vernal. I hated her. And after she was born, literally a few days after we brought her home, I left.” She felt herself begin to cry, and hated herself for it. “Fuck. Why am I crying? I was fucking over this shit!”

“She’s your daughter,” Vernal said. “And you still love her. Hell, you still love _him._ ”

“It was for the tribe,” Raven said, more to reassure herself, but she knew it was a lie. It was because she knew she wasn’t good enough. Deep down, she knew that she would be a terrible mother, but Summer would come in and save the day, like she always did. She would be able to do for Tai and Yang what Raven couldn’t, and Raven wondered if she’d known that the day she left.

Vernal leaned across her, and to Raven’s surprise, kissed her. It wasn’t a kiss meant to seduce or allure, but one to comfort. Raven hugged her back, and Vernal nestled into Raven’s arms. “What’s she like, your daughter?”

“Beautiful. Feisty. Likes to beat the hell out of people.” Raven felt some motherly pride at that, remembering the night she had watched, in her bird form, Yang tear apart a club. 

“Takes after her mom. What’s she think of you?”

“The first time I’d ever actually met her since she was an infant…was yesterday.”

“Gods,” Vernal said. “Before or after the threesome?”

“During.”

Vernal sat up. “Oh, shit.”

“Yes. Just the way someone wants to meet their mother for the first time—when she’s naked, sitting on the face of her ex-husband, the father, kissing the person that she knew as her mother. Let’s not forget that it was the first time Yang had seen Summer in 13 years.”

“Shit,” Vernal repeated. “That’s horrible.”

“No shit.” More tears, ones that Raven angrily wiped away. “She hates me, Vernal. Not because of the threesome. Because I left her. And dammit, she has a reason to hate me!”

There was another long stretch of silence in the tent. For a moment, Raven thought her lover had gone to sleep, but then Vernal spoke. “This is going to sound strange coming from me,” she said, “but you should talk to her. Your daughter.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to me. She hates me.”

“That’s all the more reason,” Vernal insisted. “Look, Raven. I don’t have any parents. Mine were killed by Grimm. The tribe has been my family. It would be really creepy if I said you were a mother figure to me, but you _are_ my chieftess, and I’d like to think you’re my friend as well as my lover.” Vernal’s hand crept across Raven’s flat stomach. “I’d give anything to see my folks again. You’ve got an opportunity to be—Yang, is that her name?—Yang’s mother again.”

“Yang’s mother is Summer. She told me as much.”

“Then talk to her—“

“What part of ‘she hates me’ did you not fucking get, Vernal?”

“The part where she said she never wanted to see you again,” Vernal shot back, unafraid. “You go to her, Raven, and you _find_ a way to make her talk to you.” She yawned. “Now, if you don’t mind, my chieftess, if we’re not going to fuck, I’m going to get some sleep.”

Raven thought for a minute. “Vernal.”

“What?” Vernal was surprised to see Raven smiling at her. 

“I have an idea.”

_The House of Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_The Next Morning_

The sun crept over first Blake, who threw her covers over her head, and then Yang, who stirred, went stiff, and then sat up. She wasn’t really a morning person per se, but she’d slept great once she had come to her decision, and it was in her old bed at home, which was much fluffier than the one at Beacon. 

_I’m going to get a harem,_ Yang reminded herself. It was half a joke, she knew, but why the heck not? Of course, she was going to have to think about who was going to be in that harem. There really weren’t that many guys at Beacon she knew. 

Jaune was out; although he had his points, it was the worst kept secret in Beacon that Pyrrha Nikos lusted for Jaune, and that he was a colossal idiot for not seeing it. Yang didn’t relish fighting a good friend like Pyrrha over someone who probably wouldn’t last very long in the sack anyway. 

Lie Ren was sexy as hell, but he was taken. If Pyrrha would possibly react violently to someone trying to take away a potential boyfriend, Nora Valkyrie would cheerfully murder anyone who got close to Ren. And Nora was also a friend.

That left the boys of Team CRDL and SSSN. Cardin Winchester was an asshole, but some of his team were all right, once you got them away from Cardin. Sun Wukong was hot as hell, and Neptune Vasillas was no slouch himself. Sage Ayana wasn’t half bad, and Scaarlet David had possibilities. There were rumors that Scarlet liked guys, of course. And then there were the teams coming in for the Vytal Tournament before long, so there would be more fresh meat and meat byproducts coming into Beacon. 

“Wakey wakey, Blakey,” Yang said as she got out of bed, lightly kicking her battle partner’s foot. 

“Mmmrrrgh,” Blake answered. She was definitely not a morning person.

“Come on. I want to fix breakfast for Mom and Dad again, and you’re going to help.” A hand came out from under the covers, and a middle finger was extended. “I know I’m number one, Blake. C’mon.” She kicked Blake a little harder.

“Nooo.”

Yang went over, picked up a bottle of water left over from the night before, and positioned it over the approximate location of Blake’s head. “Blake Belladonna,” she warned, “you’re my friend, maybe even my BFF, but if you don’t get up from that bed in the next three seconds, I _will_ pour this all over you.”

“Do it and I kill you,” Blake warned from beneath the covers.

“Well, okay…” Yang played her ace card. “I guess I’ll just go wake up Weissy and Rubes, then…and tell them you purr when you have your ears scratched.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Hope you like having my sister all over you for the next few days,” Yang warned. “Or Weiss. You know she’s weirdly fascinated by your ears…”

Blake threw back the covers, her ears flattened against her head in anger. “Fine!” Her eyes looked bleary and her hair was a mess, but that wasn’t what Yang found herself looking at. The Faunus’ yukata had fallen down one shoulder, and a pale breast stood exposed in the sunlight. Yang had seen Blake’s breasts before—she’d seen Blake naked before—but there was something extremely erotic in the sight, because it was accidental. Yang quickly looked away as Blake, abruptly realizing that she was hanging out, as it were, adjusted her yukata. She hadn’t noticed Yang. 

_Whoa,_ Yang thought to herself. _What the hell, Yang? You’ve seen her boobs before. You’ve seen everyone’s boobs before. They’re just boobs._ “I’m going to kick Weiss and Ruby out of bed while you get ready.” Blake murmured something nondescript, and got to her feet as Yang left. 

She went down the hall to her sister’s room, still thinking about Blake’s inadvertent flash. _Man, I got it bad,_ Yang thought. _If Blake’s turning me on, I really, really need to get laid._ She didn’t bother knocking on the door; she never had, and walked right in.

Ruby’s bed was empty, and for a wild moment Yang thought that her sister had left again. But then she saw the tent, made of the bedcovers. “Aww,” she whispered, remembering the nights she and Ruby had spent under a similar tent. She’d read a lot of books to her sister then, and Yang felt a little left out. Gently, she pulled up the covers, and stopped—not out of some erotic shock this time, but out of sheer amusement.

Weiss lay back on her sleeping bag, the covers down around her waist, wearing her silk pajamas. Ruby was wearing hers, but she was curled up next to her battle partner, one arm thrown across Weiss’ chest…and one hand resting on the heiress’ left breast. 

Yang was strongly tempted to sneak back to her room, grab her Scroll, and get a shot of that for later blackmail material. Then she thought better of it. _Nah. I’m not that big of a jerk._ Instead, she shook Ruby’s foot, hidden under the covers. “Rubes. Rubes, wake up.”

“Nnn.” Ruby didn’t wake up, but she did roll over, taking her hand off Weiss’ chest. Weiss’ eyes fluttered, and opened. Unlike the rest of Team RWBY, Weiss actually was a morning person. She smiled up at Yang. “Good morning,” she said.

“Morning. I’m gonna make some breakfast. Want to come with?”

Weiss looked over at Ruby, who wasn’t stirring. “Certainly. Let me get dressed.” Carefully so as not to disturb Ruby, Weiss crawled out from under the tent and dropped the covers behind her. 

“Built a tent, huh?” Yang said.

Weiss smiled shyly. “Ruby talked me into it. I admit it was…rather fun.”

“Read comic books?” Yang had seen the scattered comics at the perimeter of the tent.

“Graphic novels,” Weiss insisted. 

“Whatever.” Yang leaned against the doorjamb as Weiss retrieved her bathrobe. She bent over to go through one of her suitcases, her dress rode up, and Yang was treated to the sight of Weiss’ titanium white panties. Besides showing off the heiress’ rather cute tush, the angle also gave Yang a look down the middle, where Weiss was just barely hidden by a thin bit of cloth, enough to see the faint outline of her vulva. Once more, Yang turned around to hide the fact that she had been staring, as Weiss straightened up. _Gods. First Blake’s boob, now Weiss’ ass and vag. Yang, girl, you’d better hope you left some of your toys here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see...Doom and Bloom, Bumblebee, Freezerburn, White Rose, and Shadows, with a hint of Tauradonna. 
> 
> Not bad for a night's work. Also, Blake is becoming what TVTropes calls a "pornomancer." Everyone wants her.


	9. Afternoon Delight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer and Tai wake up to breakfast again, but Summer's stomach isn't quite as enthusiastic. Is it just bad food, or something...else?
> 
> Meanwhile, Salem invites Sun up to her room for a little sexy time. But who is seducing who...and why is Salem crying?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Long one, because the Sun/Salem scene took longer to write than I thought. Hopefully I can stay on this schedule of cranking out a chapter every night, but we'll see--I do have a job and a life (sort of), after all.

_The House of Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_About an Hour Later_

Tai and Summer woke to the smell of fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls. “Oh, man,” Tai whispered into Summer’s ear. “Our daughters may not be able to cook much, but what they can cook is nice.”

“Mmm,” Summer replied. “You know they’re just popping things in the microwave.”

“So?”

“And speaking of popping things…” Summer turned over and snuggled against him. “Is morning wood something you always get and I never noticed, or is this just since I got back?”

“A little bit of both.” His hands caressed her bare bottom. Since Summer didn’t have any pajamas, she’d taken to sleeping nude. Tai certainly didn’t mind, although he wasn’t getting a lot of sleep. They’d had to be quiet the night before with their lovemaking, with Team RWBY and Qrow in the house, but they were used to making love before, with two small children in the house with seemingly ultrasonic hearing. Tai wasn’t surprised he was hard again. They did have 13 years to make up for, after all. “You feel like going again?”

“Hmm. Actually…” Summer ran her hands over his chest. “I was thinking later that we could send the girls into town with their Uncle Qrow for supplies or something. And then we could take a nice bath together…you and I, all slippery…”

Tai felt himself getting harder, if that was possible. “Sounds doable. Breakfast, then?”

“The coffee, it is calling,” Summer replied. She got up—Tai admired the view for a minute or two—and got dressed. As he pulled on underwear and his regular cargo pants, Summer ran her hand over her stomach. “That’s weird,” she said. 

“What?”

“I don’t know…my stomach. All of a sudden, I—“ Her hand shot to her mouth and Summer ran for the bathroom. Tai winced at the sound of her throwing up. He went after her, stroking her back as she vomited again. “Oh, gods. Where did that come from?” she gasped out.

Tai had a feeling he knew what it was, and wasn’t sure if he liked it or not.

After a bit, they came downstairs. Team RWBY—even a somewhat bleary-eyed Ruby—was awake, dressed, and had already sat down to eat with Qrow. The cinnamon rolls smelled delightful, but Summer felt her stomach flip a little. She only got one small roll, and poured some milk. 

“Mom?” Yang asked. “Are you okay?”

Summer decided there was no point in hiding it. “Sorry. I threw up just a few minutes ago.” She looked around the table. “Anyone else feeling sick?” Nobody was. There was silence around the table as everyone thought the same thing.

“Mom?” This time it was from Ruby.

Summer smiled. “I know what all of you are thinking: I’ve got morning sickness. That would be pretty unusual this early in a pregnancy. It usually takes a month, and I’ve only been back three days.” She took Tai’s hand. “I’m not going to sit here and deny that your father and I have been reacquainting ourselves and making up for lost time, but even if he got me pregnant on the first day, I wouldn’t be puking this fast.”

Qrow grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “Didn’t waste no time, huh, Tai?” Yang shot Ruby a warning glance: someday, when they were all very much older, they _might_ tell Qrow about the now-infamous threesome that included his twin sister. _Might._

Tai was guileless. “Who, me? I’ll have you know I just held her very tenderly, Qrow.” Knowledge of the threesome or not, they all laughed at that. 

“Maybe you just got a bad batch of something,” Blake said, which made sense, and that was it for the talk of pregnancy and sex at the breakfast table. Summer, however, kept her face blank. It was true that, while there was a possibility of her getting pregnant after the unprotected sex she’d been having with Tai, she would not be experiencing morning sickness this fast. However, there was also the fact that she and Tai, as was their custom before she set out on a mission, _had_ made love before she left to confront Salem. And Summer was fairly certain neither had taken any sort of contraception. Her bathtime fun with Tai was going to have to wait: she needed to go into town, and get a test.

As Summer watched her daughters with their teammates, she was once more struck with mixed feelings of pride and sorrow. Ruby was the youngest of anyone at the table, but it was clear that Team RWBY both liked and respected her, just as Team STRQ had liked and respected Summer. That respect was earned; it could not be bought. Yang was laughing, the heart of the team as Tai had been. Blake reminded Summer a little of Qrow: the same aloofness, the same melancholy; she’d noticed it the night before. In the morning, however, Blake’s entire demeanor changed. She was relaxed, she was grinning at Yang’s puns, and Summer could tell the Faunus girl felt at home. Weiss was a bit like Raven: there were hints of the same contempt of others not as skilled as she was, but Weiss had none of Raven’s hatred for the world. She too was relaxed: she was groaning at Yang’s puns, but it was good natured. Summer had spotted the tent in Ruby’s room, and knew that the Schnee heiress was defrosting, which was good for everyone.

Her daughters were grown, or nearly so. She would not get to see them off to their first day of school, she would not get to attend their first school play, she would not be there to help them through their first period—Summer wondered how Tai had handled that, poor man. She might could be there for Ruby’s first prom date, perhaps, but Yang was already past that. Summer wondered if Yang was even still a virgin; that was not really her business, but “the talk” was another thing poor Tai would’ve had to give their girls. With all of that forever gone for her, Summer wondered if having another child was not only something not to fear, but something to look forward to. 

She rubbed her belly almost unconsciously. She’d still get the test, but she no longer worried about the results.

_Vacuo Beach_

_Realm of Vacuo, World of Remnant_

_That Same Morning_

Salem was once more sitting on her beach chair, but this time her hair was wet. She’d taken a dip in the heroic hotel pool after getting up—sleeping in without being bothered by a Seer or one of her minions in itself was a luxury. To her pleasant surprise, she was still as good of a swimmer as she’d always been. 

“I should’ve done this decades ago,” she murmured to herself. Sitting in the chair, idly watching people and the ocean, sipping the pina colada at her side—nothing seemed all that important anymore. Ozpin? The Relics? The Maidens? The gods? They could all wait! Time was on her side, not anyone else’s. She could wait for the next three incarnations of Ozma if she wanted to. After all, she couldn’t die. Of course, neither could she remain on this beach forever. 

_I will think about that later,_ Salem resolved. For one thing, Sun Wukong was walking in her direction, wearing those tight swim trunks again. She smiled at him, and he grinned back. Long ago, Salem had learned how to read men’s hearts, and she knew Sun had marked her for his next conquest. 

And she was going to let him, and to hell with Ozma.

He sat down next to her. “Surfing again?” she asked.

“Nah. Took a swim in the wave pool. Almost drowned!” He knocked some water out of his ear.

“Well, don’t do that.” She lifted the mug of liquor. “Would you like one?”

“No thanks. I don’t drink very much.”

Salem sized him up. Keep playing the game or just bring it into the open? He wanted her, she wanted him. There was something to stretching things out, playing a little, pretending to be the shy virgin her illusion made her look like, and there was something to just going for it. 

She smiled. To hell with games, too. It had been a long time. She turned on the chair and almost laughed as his eyes went straight to her bouncing bosom. Men were so obvious! Of course, so were women; after all, she’d been doing plenty of staring at his…what had Emerald Sustrai said, when she thought Salem wasn't listening? His package. “So, Sun. I had a fun time yesterday. It was very interesting to learn you go to Beacon.” In more ways than one, since Beacon was where Cinder Fall and her team was— _stop that,_ Salem told herself. 

“You didn’t tell me much about yourself,” he said.

“That’s because there’s nothing much to tell. I’m just from Mantle, where I help sell Dust at a shop. Not very exciting. And certainly not as exciting a being a Huntsman in training.”

“Well…” Sun scratched the back of his head. “I’d just like to get to know you better.”

Salem saw the opening, even if Sun wasn’t aware he’d made it. “I can think of a way for you to do that.” She leaned closer. “I’m in room 1693. As you know, I traveled alone. See you in…ten minutes?”

“Whoa.” Sun swallowed nervously. “Um…you sure?”

“Very,” Salem purred.

“It’s just that…well…you kinda move fast.”

She made a pouting face. “Then you don’t want to?”

“Uh, hell yes, I want to!” Sun might be taken aback, but he wasn’t turning down an invitation, either. 

“Good. I’m not much for games, Mr. Wukong.” She got off the chair, picked up her towel, finished her drink, and walked across the sand towards the hotel. She put an extra swing into her hips as she did. Men were so easily led.

As he walked down the hallway to room 1693, Sun asked himself just what the hell he was doing. Certainly, when he’d decided on Vacuo for Spring Break, part of the reason was to see his family—they lived nearby—and, when he was honest with himself (and his teammate Neptune Vasillas), to get laid. 

When he’d arrived at Beacon Academy, Sun knew he was a hit with the ladies. He always had been, a cultivated image he’d adopted after he’d hit his teenaged years. A shy kid with asthma, he’d conquered the latter by sheer determination and exercise, then kept working out. As a result, the ladies at Beacon had secretly voted him the most eligible bachelor there, and their descriptions invariably included the words "chiseled," “abs,” and "hot as hell." Despite women throwing themselves at him, Sun was still careful about who he slept with. Yang, in particular, would have been surprised to learn that he’d only been with two women his whole time at Beacon. He also had his eye on one Blake Belladonna: the fact that they were both Faunuses had little to do with it, but Blake intrigued him—possibly because she _wasn’t_ smitten with him at first sight.

In any case, following a woman to her room for an afternoon tryst was not something he usually did, especially when he barely knew the woman in question, and she was an older woman at that. Yet there was something oddly hypnotic about her, and he wasn’t sure if there was perhaps a Semblance at work, or she just had a great ass. And nice boobs. 

Still, life was short, and Sun knew if he didn’t take this Salem chick up on her blatant offer, he would look back on it from old age and wish he had.

He reached the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

Salem, for her part, stood in the middle of the hotel room and wondered what approach she should take. There were two options open to her.

One, she could be aggressive. As soon as she opened the door, she could seize him, fling him across the bedroom onto the bed, tear off his shorts, and have her wicked way of him. It appealed to her: she was a witch, after all, and that just seemed the thing to do. 

Two, she could be sly. She would invite Sun inside, teasing, slowly strip for him, watch his growing desire (literally), and once she had danced around the fires of lust long enough, seize him and have her wicked way of him. That appealed to her more, because working from the shadows, manipulating, moving only when victory was assured— _that_ was what Salem did. 

She closed the curtains so only minimal light came through, put on a long robe over the bikini—it made her feel more at home, reminding her of her cloak—and waited. The knock was welcome and quick.

Salem opened the door. “Hello,” she said, lowly, seductively.

“Hi,” Sun replied. 

“Come in.” He followed her into the room and shut the door, watching her glide to the center of the bedroom. It was large, with just the single king bed. Salem smiled over her shoulder and licked her lips. 

Unknown to the witch, however, Sun had actually seen straight through her ploy. _Oh, I get it,_ he thought, smiling. _She’s going for the seduction. She’s going to drop that robe, and assuming she’s got anything underneath it, she strip down like those girls Neptune and I saw at that club we weren’t supposed to go to in Vale. Then she’ll push me onto the bed and have her wicked way with me._ Sun didn’t necessarily mind that, but suddenly he had a better idea. 

As she began to undo the belt to her robe, Sun brushed past her. Salem blinked in surprise. “Hey!” she demanded, but Sun ignored her. He went to the curtains and opened them—not all the way, but enough to let more sunlight in. Salem didn’t recoil from it, but she wasn’t sure she liked this. 

Sun turned to her. “I think you’re a lot more beautiful in the light.”

Salem hesitated. In a very long time, only one man had called her beautiful, and that was Tyrian Callows, and he was insane. Sun saw she was off-balance, and went on the offensive. He walked up to her—he was slightly taller—cupped her face in his hands, and gently kissed her. Then he did it again. Rather than the open-mouthed devouring she had planned, this was quiet, calm…and loving. She was not expecting it, and for the first time in centuries, Salem had been outmaneuvered. 

Their kiss did get more intimate, his warm tongue touching her surprisingly cool one. Her skin felt oddly cool under his touch, Sun noticed, as if she had just taken a cold shower. He finished undoing her belt and eased the robe off her shoulders. It fell to her feet, and before she could react, those strong arms picked her up and laid her onto the center of the bed. 

“What do you think—“ she began.

“Shhh.” Sun put a finger on her lips. “Hold still. I’ll do everything.”

“But…” Stunned, Salem lay on the bed as Sun stood over her. He slowly circled the bed, as if trying to figure out the best angle to take a portrait of her, before he finally kicked off his flip-flops and got onto the bed. She reached out a hand, but he gently took it, returned it to her side, and shook his head. 

All she wore was the bikini, but Sun moved at a crawl. Slowly, he untied the string holding her top on. When it was free, he didn’t proceed any further, but his fingers moved down to her bottoms, and untied the strings there as well. Salem’s heart really didn’t need to beat, but it was pounding. _By the gods,_ she thought in amazement, _I’m not seducing him—he’s seducing_ me!

And she kind of liked it.

Sun smiled down at her, and she smiled back, but it was not the sly or seductive smile, but an unsure one. His fingers lightly playing on her skin, he took both her arms and pinned them to her side, though not harshly. Then his tail hooked around—she’d almost forgotten that—and peeled away the top, exposing her breasts. For the first time, it was Sun who faltered: Salem was rather well-endowed. But he got back his composure quickly, bent down, and licked first one, then the other nipple. But only the very tips. Salem shuddered despite herself, and her nipples hardened under his attention. He waited until they were, then kissed both.

The tail now moved down her flat stomach, lingered just for a moment at her navel, then, as she watched with her heart hammering, it pulled away her last article of clothing, leaving her exposed to the Faunus’ gaze.

There had been many side effects of her dip into the Pool of the Evil Brother: it had turned her pale skin stone gray, her blond hair bone white. The blackened veins had appeared later, a result of continous use of dark magic and her hate for Ozma. The Pool had also removed all body hair, which was rather odd, but Salem did find it rather convenient; she saved a bundle on razors. When crafting the illusion spell that returned her to the way she looked before, Salem left her pubic mound bare; it was one less thing to concentrate on, and she knew many men liked to—as one of her conquests had referred to it—assault the Jade Gates without the bushes. Sun whistled lowly; he’d never seen girls do that, not in person, anyway. 

“Do you like it?” Salem whispered.

“Uh-huh,” Sun replied. He looked up at her. “Want to play a game?”

“You mean we’re not?”

“I was thinking the game where you don’t move, no matter what.”

“Oh ho.” She nodded. “Very well, Huntsman.”

He grabbed a pillow and put it under her head. “So you can watch.”

“That’s half the fun.” 

He straddled her, then began kissing her mound. Her contemptous smile began to fade as he kissed lower, then she was struggling to maintain her composure as he moved her thighs just far enough to access her. With both hands on her hips, he began kissing and licking, up one side and down the other, circling the nub at the top with his tongue. His tail encircled her shin, and moved up and down; Salem found herself almost more turned on by that than his ministrations between her legs. 

She was also losing the game. Her fingers began bunching up the covers, and her legs began to shake. As Sun settled down and began using his fingers as well as his tongue, Salem gave up the game and began pressing herself into him, her breath becoming ragged. Her thighs fell apart. Sun didn’t seem to mind as his hands moved down to cup that beautiful rear end. 

Salem squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the pressure building. She gritted her teeth, trying to maintain some control of herself, afraid the illusion spell would dissipate, and afraid she would scream and shatter the windows. Somehow, she managed to succeed, and when the dam finally burst, her breath merely went out between her teeth in long hisses. Sun stood up, watching with satisfaction as Salem squirmed and bucked her way into orgasm.

When she’d finally gotten her breath back, he grinned at her. “You like?”

“I like,” she confirmed. _And you have no idea,_ she thought. _Oh, I needed that._

“Ready for round two?” He rose to his knees. Somehow, the shorts were containing his bulge, but it was an act of Vacuoan engineering that they didn’t burst.

“Oh gods, yes,” Salem said, not even bothering to hide her excitement. He got off the bed, took down his shorts, and stood in front of her, hands on his hips. She actually clapped her hands in anticipation. He was _big!_ This was perfect! 

“Okay, then…” He once more straddled her, balanced himself on his elbows, and paused. “Ready?”

“Can’t wait.”

“Here we go.” He slid into her, slowly, because Sun knew he was somewhat deluxe-sized and didn’t want to hurt her. A midnight assignation with one Velvet Scarlatina had ended badly when he’d hurt her without meaning to. With Salem, however, it was no problem, and to his surprise, she was tight as well, gripping him. “Wow. I thought…”

“Shh.” She touched his lips with a finger, kissed his nose, and tucked her legs behind him. 

Sun was hoping to drag it out, but bringing her to orgasm the first time had gotten him hot and bothered as well, and as much as he didn’t want to, he was soon thrusting into her much faster than he’d wanted. Not helping matters was the fact that she was meeting him every time, those beautiful breasts were rubbing against his chest, and her face…Salem’s blue eyes were half-shut, her lips were parted, and with every push she gasped softly. Her fingers rolled up and down his back, but she was considerate not to scratch him; Salem just pulled him to her tighter, with strength that surprised him.

“Salem…” he groaned. “Not…going…”

“Then don’t,” she said softly. She knew, from thousands of years from experience, that the young Faunus was not going to last. That was not surprising. What was surprising to her was that neither was she. 

It was a race, and Salem lost—and for once, she was more than happy to do so.

“Aaaah!” she exclaimed happily, hugging Sun, throwing her head back in sheer pleasure as she came. That was too much for Sun, who tensed up, held his breath, and then spent himself in her. Both froze, and time itself seemed to stop for them. 

As he came, Sun opened his eyes and looked down—and were he not floating on a wonderful cloud, he might’ve jumped out the window. Salem’s face was gray, her hair white, a single diamond of blackness between her eyes, red veins creeping across the cheeks. Her eyes opened to reveal red on black. He blinked, and she was back to normal—pale if flushed skin, blue eyes on white, no veins, blond hair. _Wow. Never hallucinated before,_ he thought, but he'd never quite had an experience like this, either.

They held onto each other, riding out the afterglow, until he was able to withdraw and roll off of her. “Whew,” they said simutaneously, and laughed together.

“You are experienced,” Salem observed after a moment. 

“Uh, well…” Sun laughed again, more nervously. “Actually, I’m not _that_ experienced.”

“You could have fooled me.”

“What about you?” He rolled over and faced her. “I thought you were, well, inexperienced.” 

Salem decided to tell a little bit of the truth. “I’m…a widow. My husband…” _I killed him in a fit of rage when I learned he had lied to me, and in the same fit of rage, I killed my own children._ Suddenly she felt vulnerable, and felt tears in her eyes. That made no sense. She was Salem, Undead Queen of the Grimm, and she should not be feeling anything but hate. It was the sex, she told herself. It cracked her control, left her more open than she wanted. She was tempted to simply kill this smiling Faunus where he was. A bolt of annihilation to his skull, and he’d die instantly. He would pay for her vulnerability with his life. That made perfect sense. After all, she’d already gotten what she wanted from him.

Sun reached out and brushed away a tear from her eye. “Hey. I get it. You don’t have to say anything.” He kissed her. “It’s okay. I’m sorry you lost him.” _Poor thing,_ Sun thought. He figured it out now. A lonely widow, finally deciding to live her life again: she’d left home, come here, and fell in rebound love with the first guy she saw, which was him. That explained why she’d been so fast to hop into bed with him. She had been lonely, she’d gone so long without someone.

“You’re…sorry?” In the centuries she’d lived since Ozma died, no one had ever said they were sorry for her.

“C’mere.” He drew her into a hug, and stroked her hair gently. “I’m sorry, Salem. I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have…I wouldn’t have pushed it.”

“No…that’s all right.” She nestled herself against him, against those wonderful pectorals. “I needed this.” That was the truth, she reflected. Why had she deprived herself of pleasure for so long?

“Uh oh.” His stroking stopped.

“What?”

“Er…I wasn’t wearing, uh, a condom or anything…” In the heat of the moment, he’d completely forgotten. Humans and Faunus could interbreed, though pregnancy tended to be tougher to achieve than between human and human, or Faunus and Faunus.

Salem sighed. “I can’t have children.” She could, in theory, still bear children, but it would take a lot of magic. How she’d achieved it with Ozma was a wonder.

“Oh, man.” He started stroking her hair again. “You’ve just had a hell of a time.” It sounded stupid when he said it, but she didn't seem offended at all.

“You have no idea.” She kissed his chest. “But thank you for saying it. Let’s rest now.”

Sun yawned. “Yeah…good idea.” He was asleep in moments, exhausted.

Salem remained awake, for quite a long time. Thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUIT MAKING MY FLUFFY COMEDY SERIOUS, RWBY CHARACTERS. 
> 
> Man...I really wanted to write something hilarious, but this thing just keeps pulling me away from it. Of course, that's when you know the characters are good--when they start writing the story instead of you. Next chapter's going to be fairly serious too, because Raven's coming back.


	10. Unstoppable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven returns to the Xiao Long-Rose house to confront Yang. Yang's not interested in talking. Raven won't back down. 
> 
> Fight's on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one tonight, as I've got an early wakeup call, and adding on any comedy at the end would be too much of a mood whiplash. So this one's a feels chapter.

_The House of Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_Later That Day_

Taiyang sat on his bed— _their_ bed now, he corrected himself—and waited while Summer used the pregnancy test. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. On one hand, Summer getting pregnant now, with their lives very much in flux, would be a little complicated. On the other, he missed having children around, and he knew Summer wanted another child, one that she could actually raise. 

He heard the toilet flush, and she came out, holding up the test. Even he could tell it was negative. Summer sighed and sat down next to him. “I don’t know how I feel about this,” she said, echoing his thoughts.

He put an arm around her. “After things calm down, we could try to have a baby, if you want.” Ruby had not actually been planned, but neither had they really tried _not_ to have a child. Summer usually got a contraceptive shot, or Tai did, and they had let both lapse before Summer had become pregnant. 

“Define ‘calm’.”

“I don’t know,” Tai admitted. “Maybe after Ruby graduates from Beacon.”

“Well…no rush.” She smiled up at him. “ _I’m_ still young, at least.”

“Ouch!” He laughed. “I’ll have you know that Granddaddy Xiao Long was still fathering kids when he was in his sixties. Of course, he got married four times, but…”

Summer leaned against him. She held up her arm, where the red pinprick of the shot still showed. “Just in case.” He kissed her forehead. “I mean, I haven't even been back a week. Let’s not add a bun in the oven to all the excitement.”

He held her for a long time. Tai was rediscovering this simple pleasure, of just being close to her again. He’d missed that so much. In the months after she had disappeared, he had been almost inconsolable, losing himself in taking care of his daughters. He smelled the strawberry-scented shampoo she used on her hair; it was actually Ruby’s, but Summer had used it in the past.

Then he felt her hand on his stomach. “What?” he asked. Her hand snaked down, beneath the waistband of his pants and underwear, took hold of him, and gently began to stroke. “Oh.” He looked down on her, and there was that sly smile. “I take it you want to give that contraceptive shot a workout.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Where are the girls?”

“Playing with Zwei.” She unbuttoned his pants, pulled them down just enough to expose his hardening penis, and continued to stroke him. “We have time for a quickie.”

“Summer, with you it’s never a quickie. It’s a longie.”

“That’s not a word.”

“Yes, it is.”

She let go and knelt in front of him. “It occurred to me that I never really finished the other day. You know…you…in my…” She shrugged. “Well, you know.”

“If you want to.”

Summer did not answer, just leaned forward. It was at that point the outside window lit up with red light. Both turned in that direction, and both recognized it. “That’s Raven’s portal effect,” Tai said. “What’s she doing here?”

“If it’s for another threesome, she’s out of luck,” Summer grumbled, and stood up. “Well, might as well go see what Miss Cockblocker wants.”

Raven stepped out of the portal, and was somewhat surprised to see more than just Ruby and Yang in the front yard. There were two others there. She’d observed Team RWBY in her bird form once or twice, so she recognized them as Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna. Both of them began backing up towards the front door to the house, where their weapons were stacked. She put her hands up. “Easy,” Raven said. “Not here to fight.” _Not yet,_ she added silently.

She expected Yang to say something first, and wasn’t disappointed. “What are you doing here?” her daughter snapped.

“I’ve come to talk to you,” Raven replied.

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“That’s too bad,” Raven sighed. “I don’t know how much Tai or Summer have told you about me, but I don’t tend to take no for an answer. Especially not from my flesh and blood.” In all honesty, Raven had not wanted to say that in front of strangers, but there was no avoiding it.

“What?” Blake asked. She looked at Yang. “What is she talking about?”

Yang was barely suppressing her fury. “Weiss, Blake,” she growled, “this is Raven Branwen. She’s my biological mother.” She stared back at Raven in hate. “And that’s _all_ she is. She abandoned me when I was a baby. She ran off.”

“With…someone else?” Blake was stunned, and Weiss’ hands went to her mouth. 

“No,” Raven said. “The story’s too complicated, and though I mean no offense, Team RWBY, I’ve come here to talk to Yang. And Ruby, if she wants to listen in. No one else.”

“Fuck you,” Yang hissed. “This is my team, Raven! You have something to say, you say it to them.” Ruby, Blake and Weiss all moved closer, and Raven, with her own Beacon training, could see them forming a classic defensive wedge. 

Summer rushed out, throwing on her white cloak. “Raven!”

Raven stayed put, and her eyes never left Yang’s. “Hey, Summer. Sorry to barge in.”

“It’s all right,” Summer lied. “What’s the occasion?”

“I want to talk to Yang.”

“And I don’t want to talk to her!” Yang spat.

Qrow came out next—he’d been asleep on the couch—and then Tai. Raven did turn to her twin brother. “Hello, Qrow. Hi, Tai.”

“Hey, sis.” He didn’t come closer. There was no love lost between them. Tai said nothing, just folded his arms.

Raven returned her attention to Yang. “I just want to talk. That’s all. And we need to get this out in the open, sooner rather than later. The longer we let it go, the more it’s going to fester, just like an infected wound.” She reached down, unbuckled her sword, and let it drop to the ground. She’d left the armor back at camp. “So, do you want to go first, or do you want me to?”

“I got nothing to say to you.” Yang had unconsciously adopted the same stance as her father.

“Yang, maybe—“ Ruby began.

“No, Ruby! She left! She ran! And now she’s trying to worm her way back in because Mom’s back!”

Raven took a breath. She knew it would come to this. She took four quick steps forward, and put an hand on Yang’s shoulder. “You need to listen to me—“

Yang’s eyes turned blood red, and her hair stood on end and glowed. Raven tensed, knowing the punch was coming, and rolled with it as Yang hit her in the jaw with a right cross. She went flying and hit the grass hard. Her Aura had taken it, but it still felt like she’d been hit by a truck. Slowly, she got to her feet. 

Summer put her hand on Yang’s arm. “Yang, stop!”

_Sorry, Summer,_ Raven thought. She smiled at her daughter. “That all you got? Maybe you’re not mine.”

Yang let out a strangled scream of pure rage and charged Raven. Once more, Raven did not attempt to dodge, although she easily could have: Yang was skilled, with a great deal of raw power, but Raven was the Spring Maiden. This punch was no less painful, and Raven went flying again. She managed to skid to a stop before Yang knocked her into a tree, but as her head came up, Yang was already on her, fists flying as she delivered three punches in quick succession, trapping her against the tree. Her Aura was holding up, but Raven was still glad she had nothing in her stomach.

Summer disappeared into a red blur, and Ruby’s jaw dropped: she’d never seen her mother use her Semblance. Ruby herself was fast, but Summer seemed to teleport. She stopped behind Yang and tried to get her in a half nelson. “Yang, stop!” she shouted again.

Raven spit onto the ground. “Let her go, Summer! She wants a piece of me, she can have all she wants!”

Yang was beyond hearing now. Her hair was a mass of yellow flame, and she broke free of Summer long enough to clock Raven in the face again. This time, Raven threw herself backwards, getting fighting room. She came down in a three point stance, and motioned Yang forward. “Come on, daughter! Let’s see if the blood’s true or you’re just a pretender!”

“I’ll fucking _kill you!”_ Yang exploded, and she shook off Summer to rush Raven once more. Summer, who ended up on her back, kipped up and was ready to follow when she herself was grabbed. To her surprise, it was Qrow. “Hold on,” he said. “I think I know what Raven’s doing.”

“Yang’s going to murder her!” Summer pleaded.

“We’ll jump in if Raven loses her Aura. Let it play out, Short Stack.”

Raven was feeling herself losing Aura fast. Yang was uncontrollable, berserk, and was hitting her with everything she had. Raven still wasn’t dodging, and every time her daughter knocked her to the ground—which was beginning to happen more and more—she’d just grin up at her and challenge her to hit harder. The only question, Raven thought, was whether or not Yang would run out of steam before Raven would run out of Aura. Yang was a brawler, but her fighting style was not built for sustained fighting. For her Semblance to keep operating, she needed to be hit—and Raven wasn’t hitting. 

And she was right. Yang’s next punch drove Raven to the grass again, but there wasn’t as much power behind it. She struggled back to her feet, only for Yang to hit her again, but this one only dropped her to her knees. The next one staggered her. “Go down,” Yang panted. “Godsdammit, go down!”

Raven shook her head. “Not yet,” she said, nearly out of breath herself. Aura didn’t protect against exhaustion, and even a Maiden could only be hit so many times before she started feeling it, even if she took no damage.

That gave Yang a second wind, and the next punch lifted Raven off her feet and _did_ knock her down. But it spent her, and as Raven crawled back, Yang finally fell to her knees. “Why,” she said. “Why?” She put her face in her hands. The tears had been flowing for awhile, evaporating in the heat, but now they leaked out from between her fingers. Yang’s hair began to fade. “Why did you leave me? Why did you leave _us?_ ” she cried. “Why did you hate me that much?”

Summer started to step forward, but it was Tai who stopped her this time. “No,” he said softly. “This has to be Raven now.”

Raven made her way to Yang’s side. “I never hated you, Yang.” She put her head against her daughter’s. “I hated myself. I wasn’t good enough for you…I wasn’t good enough for any of you. So I ran away. I ran, Yang.” She hugged her daughter. “Gods help me, I ran. Please… _please_ forgive me.” She looked beyond Yang to Summer, Tai and Qrow. “Please. I’m so…I’m so sorry.” 

Summer couldn’t stifle a sob, and she ran to them, embracing both of them—a friend as close as a sister, a daughter that was not hers and yet was very much hers. Then Tai went over, and then Qrow. Ruby held back, her eyes streaming tears, but Weiss gently pushed her forward. Then she was running to them as well. 

“I’m sorry too…” Yang said at length. She looked up into Raven’s eyes. “…Mom.”

Raven smiled and touched her daughter’s face. “No,” she whispered. “Summer is your mom. But I would be happy to be your friend, Yang. If you’ll allow it.”

“Yeah.” Yang sniffled, and smiled for the first time. “I think I can do that.”

“That’s a nice start,” Summer sighed. “Now can you please stop hitting each other?”

They laughed at that. It was a beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big, big hat tip to the Pinis, creators of Elfquest, for inspiring this chapter. As Leetah said, there are other ways of healing (though I don't recommend beating the crap out of someone as a method of reconciliation). Yang needed to get that out of her system, and luckily Raven could take it.
> 
> What's next? Well, finally some damn comedy. Turns out Salem's hookup with Sun had some unintended effects, and the first ones to feel it are at Beacon Academy. Get ready for some Renora! (And maybe some Arkos!)


	11. It's a Kind of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ozpin and Goodwitch detect a wave of magic spreading across Remnant, and Ozpin suspects it's the work of Salem. But its effects are something that no one can predict, and it will hit the students of Beacon worst of all.
> 
> No, you didn't stumble onto a serious fic by mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, Arkos and Renora. Heh heh heh.

_Beacon Academy_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_Earlier That Day_

Glynda Goodwitch came off the elevator to Ozpin’s office at a brisk walk. “I came as soon as I could, Professor.”

Ozpin looked up from his coffee. “Ah, Glynda. I’m very sorry to disturb you. I know you tend to retire early.” He slid his Scroll over to her. “What do you make of that?”

She scanned it. “A spike in atmospheric pressure lasting only a few seconds?” She brought up the data. “But with no threat to human or Faunus life?”

“Mm.” Ozpin took a sip of coffee. “What you’re seeing, Glynda, is a wave of magic power spreading across Remnant.”

Glynda looked up in alarm. “Is it dangerous?”

“Not overly so. The majority of people won’t even feel it. However, Huntsmen and Huntresses may. I suspect the effects will be both uniform and random.”

That didn’t make much sense to Glynda, but a lot of what Ozpin didn’t make much sense—at least at first. “I don’t understand,” she admitted. To her surprise, he seemed a bit nervous. And embarrassed. “You’ve seen this before.”

“It’s been quite awhile, but…yes.” He fiddled with his glasses, but knew he was going to have to give Glynda the truth, or at least most of it. “You see, it originates with Salem herself.”

“Damn.” That was not good, Glynda knew. Ozpin’s small circle of people he could trust were aware that Salem was plotting to destroy Remnant, but so far the witch had worked in the shadows. This was overt.

“Yes, well…” Ozpin cleared his throat, tried to hide the fact that he was going a bit red. “It’s…hard to explain.”

Glynda came to attention. “Professor. You can trust me.”

“Of course. It’s just that…well…” Ozpin covered his eyes with both hands. “The last time such a wave was detected was the…oh, how do I put this…” He sighed, and just came out with it. “The last time Salem, er, had…intimate relations.”

Glynda blinked. Twice. “Excuse me?”

“Salem’s had sex.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

Ozpin stared at her over his glasses. “Never mind how I know. I know. And it’s dangerous…sort of…when it happens. Salem is directly connected to Remnant. And if she should lose control of her powers, even for the short moment of reaching her peak, these waves happen. Sometimes. But this is definitely one of those times.”

Glynda took off her glasses and rubbed her nose. “Let me get this straight. Some poor bastard just had sex with the Undead Queen of the Grimm, got her off, and now we have a wave of magic spreading across the world because she had an _orgasm?”_

“Essentially, yes.”

“And you’re not just bullshitting me because you don’t know and don’t want to admit it?”

“Of course not. I would never do that,” Ozpin lied.

“Who the hell would screw _her?_ Don’t answer that,” she warned him. “I don’t want to know.” Ozpin was glad of that. He didn’t want to admit that he was one of the aforementioned poor bastards. “Okay. It’s weird, but that’s nothing new in our line of work. What do we do?”

Ozpin took another drink of coffee. “For now, nothing. Again, most people will not even notice. Others might notice a small spike in their desire for someone. The more vulnerable will be those who are frustrated.” He coughed. “Sexually.” Another cough. “And females tend to be most vulnerable.” 

She noticed he was staring at her, and Glynda was too amused to be angry. “Relax, Ozpin. Not that it’s any of your business, but I _do_ have a boyfriend. And by the way? My eyes are up here.” 

“Ah, yes. Sorry.” Ozpin realized he had been staring at her copious bosom, and imagining putting his face between them. He slugged down another shot of coffee. “In any case, we should keep an eye on our students. Nothing should happen that’s too terrible, but we will see a spike in students having, ah—“

“Lots of sex.” Glynda shrugged. “At least it’s spring break. They’ll be doing that anyway.” She looked to him. “How do we tell them?”

“We don’t. But I am concerned as to where the spikes originated.” He pointed back to his Scroll.

“Vacuo? That’s odd—“ Glynda’s eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute. Salem can’t be in Vacuo. We’d know.”

“Would we?”

“Well, what the hell is she doing there? On Spring Break?” Glynda laughed at that utter absurdity. 

“Whatever reason she is there, we must know. Contact Qrow as soon as possible.” Glynda cleared her throat, and Ozpin realized he’d been looking at her chest again. “Sorry.”

Pyrrha Nikos slept comfortably, a faint smile on her face. She usually slept well, having developed the ability to switch her mind off when she needed to. She would lay down, close her eyes, go over each problem of the day, put it in an imaginary folder, and then, when all the folders were closed, she would sleep. 

This time, however, her sleep was disturbed. She frowned in her sleep, then slowly, she woke up. Because of the way she tended to sleep, she usually woke up facing Jaune Arc’s bed, which was something she liked. She usually rose before Jaune did for her early morning run, and so sometimes she indulged in her secret crush by watching him sleep. There had been once or twice she’d seen him develop what the boys called morning wood, which made Pyrrha turn over to give him some privacy, or go take a rather cold shower.

When Pyrrha opened her eyes, she noticed Jaune’s bed was empty, and speaking of showers, she heard it running. That wasn’t quite as surprising as what she heard.

“Nora…we can’t. You said we were not together-together…we need to talk about this.”

“Screw talking!” 

Pyrrha rolled over towards Nora Valkyrie’s and Lie Ren’s beds. Hers was empty, but Ren’s wasn’t, mainly because Nora was in it with him. Or rather kneeling on it. Ren’s light sleeping kimono bottoms were pulled down to his knees, and to Pyrrha’s shock, she had both hands on Ren’s member, and her hands were moving as if she was milking a cow. He was hardening as she watched, and Nora’s eyes kept getting bigger and bigger as well. Ren looked as shocked as Pyrrha felt. “Nora,” he whispered, “what’s gotten into you?”

“Hopefully you in a minute!” Nora laughed, then leaned down and dragged her tongue across the tip. Ren’s hands grabbed the sides of his bed as if he was riding out an earthquake. 

“Nora, please, I don’t know what’s happened, but I don’t want us to make a mistake!”

Nora’s face darkened and she put her fists on her hips. “What, you need some incentive?” She reached down and pulled off her BOOP top, and threw it to one side. For her small frame, Nora’s breasts were rather ample. She grabbed Ren’s hands and placed them firmly on her chest. “Still want to talk?”

Pyrrha didn’t actually see that last part, because the T-shirt hit her in the face. She pulled it away and continued to watch, until she realized she was watching two of her best friends getting ready to have mad, passionate sex. That would be hard to watch and then have breakfast, so Pyrrha prepared to turn away and pretend to go back to sleep. Or flee out the door. Or join Jaune in the shower. 

_Wait, what?!_

It hit Pyrrha without warning. The moment she thought of Jaune, naked, in the shower, lathering himself, especially down there (where her imagination went a little wild), Pyrrha felt desire explode in her stomach like bad Vacuo food. Three things happened in rapid succession: her pupils dilated, her nipples hardened, and she felt wetness between her legs.

She had to have Jaune. Now. 

Pyrrha sat up, turned, and stood. That stopped Nora trying to pull Ren’s penis off, and his rapidly diminishing protests. “Oh, Pyrrha!” Nora said. “I’m sorry. We were being too loud, that’s my fault, but I really need Ren right now and—“

“Pyrrha!” Ren interrupted. “Help! Nora’s gone insane with lust, just like the gypsy woman said would happen—“

She ignored both of them. “Jaune,” she breathed. “Jaune.” Ren closed his eyes in surrender. Whatever was wrong with Nora was wrong with Pyrrha, and he was alone with his lust-berserker girlfriend.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself with his Semblance. He was about to do the same to Nora, but then he was hit in the face with her panties, already wet. Ren decided then that this was apparently the will of the gods, knocked the underwear from his face, and pulled Nora down into a savage kiss.

Pyrrha unbuttoned her shirt ten paces from the bathroom. Her pants came off at five paces. Her panties were stepped out of by the time she turned the knob. Naked and oddly unafraid, Pyrrha stepped into the bathroom, the cool tiles under her feet comforting after the heat of her body. She opened the shower door.

Jaune was still in his underwear and huddled against the wall, appearing decidedly chilled; the drops of the shower spray that reached her were cold. He looked up at Pyrrha. “Pyr! Oh my gods, I’m so glad it’s you and oh holy shit, you’re completely naked and I need to run—“

She stepped into the shower stall. The metal shower knobs suddenly turned of their own volition, switching the water from cold to comfortably warm. She reached out with one hand, and the metal button on Jaune’s button-fly shorts tore free and ended up in her hand. She tossed it away, reached down with both hands, and drew Jaune to his feet. “Give it to me, Jaune,” she commanded.

“Give you what?” Jaune, despite his reputation for cluelessness, knew exactly what Pyrrha wanted—for that matter, so did a certain portion of his anatomy, which rose from its cold water-induced slumber—but didn’t want to believe this was happening. 

Whatever force had seized control of Pyrrha’s higher brain functions lapsed for a moment, as Pyrrha thought about that in brief confusion. What should she call it? _Give me your penis_ sounded like she was going to tear it off and borrow it. _Give me your dick_ sounded gross, and despite the lust that clouded her brain, she was still Pyrrha and such language bothered her. She settled on something more romantic. “Make love to me, Jaune.” 

Under normal circumstances—Pyrrha slipping out of her red dress, the love so long denied her in her eyes, in the soft light of candles—Jaune would have been happy to oblige, nervousness or not. He _was_ aware of Pyrrha’s desire for him, but thought he must be misreading her completely: surely the Invincible Girl of Mistral would not be interested in a noodle like him. However, this circumstance was quite different, as she was already naked, water streaming down her like she was a nymph from the legends, the visual confirmation that the carpet matched the drapes…Jaune found himself rising to the occasion, as it were.

But he couldn’t do it. Pyrrha wasn’t in her right mind. He hadn’t been either, when he’d woken up with a monstrous hard-on and the nearly uncontrollable desire to take Pyrrha right then and there. Or Nora, if she wasn’t already crawling over to Ren, her expression the same as a tiger about to devour a helpless gazelle. Jaune had run into the shower and turned the spray on cold, which gave him control back. 

Jaune hated to do it. Cold shower or not, he wanted nothing more than to take her against the shower stall in a manly fashion. But that would be taking advantage of her, and Jaune would rather be celibate for the rest of his life than exploit Pyrrha Nikos. 

Then her lips were on his. Jaune felt her hot breath, the tentative tongue, inexperienced but hungry. He pulsed against her, his erection pressed between them, the feeling of her pubic hair against his, her breasts pressed into his chest…and that was it for Jaune Arc.

“Ohhh noooo,” he moaned, unable to stop it, and ejaculated all over Pyrrha’s stomach and his own. If Pyrrha noticed, she gave no sign, just kept kissing him. Once Jaune had spent himself, he reckoned that the only good thing about what just happened was that at least _his_ ardor was cooled. With a heartbroken sigh, Jaune reached over with his left hand, grabbed the shower knob as Pyrrha’s tongue licked at his lips, and turned it on full.

It was like being caught in a blizzard for Pyrrha, and for Jaune, like the last time he had well and truly pissed off Weiss Schnee. She yelped and nearly fell, her reflexes saving her; Jaune was prepared and stepped backwards as he shut the water off. Pyrrha shook her head, rubbed her eyes, and looked up at him. “Jaune? Why am I in here and naked and _naked?!”_ Her hands frantically came up to cover herself, and encountered something sticky. “What’s this?”

_And here is where I die. Goodbye, world…I have lived a good life,_ Jaune thought. Pyrrha brought some of it up on a finger, forgetting for a moment in her confusion that she was still standing there naked in front of Jaune. He winced as she tasted the drop of semen, then made a nauseated face and spit it out. “Eww! What _is_ that?”

That was a _great_ boost to the ego, Jaune thought sourly as he grabbed a wet washrag and handed it to her. Pyrrha took it and cleaned herself, then turned red as she once more realized she was nude. She turned redder as she saw he was too. “Jaune, what? Did we…” She knelt on the shower floor, hugging herself. “Oh. We did, didn’t we?”

“No!” Jaune knelt next to her. “We didn’t do anything, Pyr, I swear! You were kissing me, and I got all excited—I’m a virgin, and well, you’re absolutely beautiful, and I couldn't help myself, and please, if you’re going to kill me make it quick—“

“Oh, Jaune.” Pyrrha reached out and kissed his forehead. “I’m so sorry. It’s all right.” She helped him up, and they stepped out of the shower. “Well,” she smiled, and spread her arms wide. “You might as well look, I suppose. You’ve already seen it.”

“Uh, sure.” Just because he had already seen Pyrrha naked now didn’t mean Jaune wasn’t looking some more. He decided turnabout was fair play, and struck the same pose. Pyrrha blushed, her hands coming up to her mouth. “Oh. Oh my, Jaune.”

“I’m…not all that impressive.”

“No, that’s not fair!” she insisted. “You’re quite…well…big.” Then she giggled. “But of course I have nothing to compare it to.”

He smiled all the same. “Thanks anyway, Pyrrha. You’re really beautiful, you know that?”

She looked away. “No, I’m not. I’m big and clumsy. My hands are too big, my breasts are too large, my hips are too wide, and my chin’s too narrow. And my butt is too big.” 

All those were verifiable lies, Jaune thought to himself. “No, Pyr. You’re perfect.”

They shared an intimate glance, but what might have actually led to some beautiful lovemaking on the floor of the bathroom was abruptly interrupted by Nora. “ _Ren! Ren! Oh gods, Ren! You’re filling me up! Yeah, pound me like I’ve been bad! I’ve been real bad, Ren!”_

Jaune threw Pyrrha a towel and draped another around his middle, and both opened the door to the bathroom. Whatever objections Ren had to Nora’s sudden amorousness was apparently gone, because she was bent over her own bed while Ren, eyes squeezed shut, was thrusting into her like it was his last day on Remnant. From their angle, everything was covered by limbs and angles, but Pyrrha and Jaune still looked away. 

“Nora! Nora! Nora!” Ren yelled, and he tensed up as he let loose inside of her. Nora laughed evilly, but then her eyes grew wide. “Oh! Ren! Here I go!” This time, her laughter was a demented shriek of pleasure, and in the distance, thunder rolled. Pyrrha and Jaune looked down at the wet bathroom floor, and worried that Nora was about to lose control of her Semblance and kill them all.

But she didn’t, and both collapsed, Nora over her bed, and Ren over her. After a moment of catching their breath, Nora suddenly looked up. “Huh? What happened?” She glanced over her shoulder and saw Ren. “Oh.” Then she smiled. “Oh, okay. Yeah, this is cool.”

“Nora…” Ren puffed. “I’m…sorry. I couldn’t resist any longer.” He pulled out of her and carefully rolled off the condom he’d put on, then threw it in the trash. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for? That was awesome!” Her eyebrows beetled together in thought. “At least, I think it was. I kind of remember.” She turned to face him and kissed Ren playfully. “We may have to run through that again.”

“Nora!” Ren protested.

Pyrrha and Jaune figured it was safe to come into the dorm room, with extra towels for their friends. “What happened to us, Nora?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Nora replied. “I just woke up and I couldn’t control myself! I had to have Ren!” She shrugged and smiled. “I mean, it’s not like I minded or anything…”

“The same thing happened to me,” Pyrrha said as she sat on her bed. “I saw you two after I woke up, and all I could think about was…um…”

“Jumping Jaune’s bones?” Nora grinned.

“Yes.” Pyrrha hid her face again in embarrassment.

Nora turned to Jaune. “So, how was it?”

“We didn’t!” Jaune exclaimed. “I woke up feeling the same way. I almost attacked Pyrrha! But once I took a cold shower, I was okay.”

“And once he sprayed me with cold water, I was all right as well.” Pyrrha looked to Ren. “Are you all right?”

“Oh yes. Nora woke me up, but I believe my Semblance protected me. Not, however, from Nora’s hands. And lips.” She looked a little down at that, but Ren took her hand. “Not that I minded, Nora. I guess being together-together isn’t something to be afraid of after all.”

“Aww, Ren.”

What might have been a romantic display of affection between Ren and Nora was interrupted by a hammering at the door. Jaune was closest, so he walked over to the door and opened it. He was then nearly run over by Velvet Scarlatina. She was wearing pajamas—or what was left of them. The rags barely concealed her. “Help me!”

“Did you wake up feeling horny as hell and attacked someone?” Nora asked.

“No!” Then Velvet sank down to the carpet as Jaune shut the door. “Well…yes. I wanted to. But then I threw a glass of cold water over myself and I was fine.” She grabbed at Jaune’s ankle. “Please, Jaune, you have to save me!”

“From what?”

Jaune’s answer came with more hammering at the door, this time with enough force that the frame bent. “Open the door!” Cardin Winchester demanded.

“Yeah, we know she’s in there!” Coco Adel shouted. Her voice switched to wheedling. “C’mon, Velvet, my bunny-bun-bun! We can’t get this threesome started without you!”

Pyrrha acted fast. She grabbed the plastic garbage can—the one she shared with Jaune, luckily not Nora’s and Ren’s—dumped out a few crumpled pieces of paper, dashed to the little sink next to their refrigerator, and filled it with cold water. The door began to buckle, and Ren and Jaune braced it as Velvet scuttled back to hide behind Nora, who withdrew Magnhild from under her bed. “Move, guys!” she yelled. “I’ll knock them out of their horniness!”

“No!” Pyrrha said. “We want them lucid, not concussed!” She got the bucket full and managed to get to the door; her towel slipped off in the process, but Pyrrha didn’t care. “On three, open the door,” she instructed. “One…two…three!” Jaune jumped backwards and Ren flung the door wide. All of them looked at the door, and really wished they hadn’t.

Both Cardin and Coco were stark naked, which wasn’t so bad—Cardin was quite muscular and well-built, while Coco’s body was slim and athletic. However, Team JNPR really could have gone the rest of their lives without seeing Cardin’s engorged erection, and the drool on Coco’s chin wasn’t much of an improvement. That was in the split-second before Pyrrha doused them with the bucket of water. Both of them screamed; Jaune noticed in passing that Cardin’s scream was an octave higher than Coco’s. 

Cardin shook his head, water dripping from his short hair. “What the actual hell…” He had begun to deflate, but seeing Pyrrha naked in front of him rapidly changed that situation. Pyrrha rolled her eyes and tossed the garbage can at him. 

Coco blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Oh, hey, Pyrrha. Jaune. Ren. Nora. Oh, Velvet!” Her smile faded, replaced with rage at Velvet’s torn pajamas. “Who did that to you? Who do I have to ventilate with Gianduja?”

“You,” Velvet replied. “ _You_ did this to me.”

“I did?” Coco thought for a moment. “Oh, shit. I guess I did. Sorry, Velvet; I’ll buy you some new…ones.” She had sighted Cardin. “Well. Hello there, Cardin. Didn’t realize you were packing that much!”

Cardin covered himself with the bucket. “Uh…aren’t you a lesbian?”

Coco grinned. “I keep an open mind.” Then she saw Pyrrha. “Well, now!”

Pyrrha snatched up her towel. “Something’s happening. Something’s very wrong. We need to find Professor Ozpin.”

“And hope that he’s not banging Glynda Goodwitch over his desk,” Jaune groaned.

Meanwhile, at the visiting student’s dorm, Cinder Fall stared out over Beacon through the window of her single room. “This is perfect,” she said to herself, because she was alone. She was also nude, but Cinder was comfortable in her skin, because she knew that skin was flawless. “While everyone’s screwing their brains out, I can go for the Fall Maiden!” She grinned maniacally. “I don’t know if this is part of Salem’s nefarious plan, but there’s no reason to hesitate! I have to do it before anyone recovers.” Then she sighed and sat on the bed, brushing her hair out of her face. “Or I will after _I_ recover.” She shook her fingers to get feeling back into them. “Ow.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! There's the comedy! I hope.
> 
> Poor Jaune. He always ends up with the short end of the stick in my stories.


	12. Here I Stand and Face the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven begins to rebuild her bridges with the rest of Team STRQ and Team RWBY. However, not everyone is quite ready to forgive and forget. 
> 
> And then Salem's magic wave hits Patch...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad everyone is liking this fic. Your reviews really make my day. I can't thank you folks enough. 
> 
> I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with it, but there will be an ending (and at the rate I'm going, it will be sooner rather than later). So far, I've been able to keep to a daily update schedule, which is nothing short of amazing, but that's not guaranteed. If you don't hear anything on the story for a day or two, don't panic; I haven't abandoned it. No way! I'm having too much fun.

_The House of Taiyang and Summer_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_The Same Day, A Half Hour Earlier_

“So there we were,” Raven Branwen said, her eyes big and a little bloodshot. She wasn’t quite drunk, but she was merry. In front of Team STRQ and Team RWBY were two open bottles of wine. The latter team was only allowed one glass (Ruby) or two glasses (Yang and Blake), though one didn’t drink at all (Weiss). However, Team STRQ could have all they wanted. Raven and Qrow had polished off one together—the first time the twins had done anything together since the day Yang was born—and Summer and Tai limited themselves. 

“Yeah?” Ruby was hanging on Raven’s every word.

Raven hiccupped. “Sorry. There we were, getting ready to ambush these Grimm. They had no idea we were there—it was four Goliaths—“

“Two,” Tai corrected.

“This is my story!” Raven protested. “So anyway, there were two Goliaths, and we had the drop on them. Tai and Qrow were on one side, and Summer and I were on the other. Then, just as the Goliaths moved into the ambush zone…Tai farts. He fuc—he cuts one, right there!” Raven giggled, having caught herself just in time. “And it’s not one of those little farts, but one that makes you wonder if you tore yourself a new hole. And the Goliaths detected us!”

“What did you do?” Yang asked, sipping her wine.

“We ran like hell,” Qrow said. “Four hours of prep, ruined because Tai had burritos for breakfast that morning.”

Tai leaned back and shook his head. “Team RWBY,” he said solemnly, “this is a tissue of lies. I did _not_ fart that day.”

“My ass,” Raven said. “It damn sure wasn’t me. Who was it? That narrows it down, huh?”

“I think it was Summer.” Tai put his arm around his wife. “I had burritos that morning, yes. But Summer had them for breakfast _and_ lunch, and washed them down with soda.” 

Summer smiled. “Tai, my love,” she said, “forgive me for using bad language in front of the girls, but that is unmitigated bullshit.” She leaned forward to where Team RWBY sat on the couch. “It was Tai.”

They all broke into laughter. There had been a lot of laughing for the past few hours. At first, dinner—which Summer insisted Raven stay for—was awkward, with long stretches of silence. But gradually, they warmed up, and by dessert, Raven was sharing some of her stories of Team STRQ. The wine helped a little, but Team RWBY had noticed STRQ rediscovering why they’d been such a great team in the first place. They might not ever fight again together, but it was a beginning to heal wounds left 17 years before. 

Raven finished her wine. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, and Qrow, it’s getting late. I should probably get home. Don’t want to drink and Semblance.” She got to her feet. “Yang, could you follow me outside for a moment?”

“Sure.” Raven and Yang still hadn’t said much. It was too early for that. Still, daughter followed mother into the soft spring moonlight. Raven took a deep breath and smiled, the night air clearing her head. She motioned Yang out into the yard. Zwei was the only one who accompanied them, and only because he needed to do his business for the night. Raven looked at the shattered moon for a moment, then spoke. “Yang, I meant what I said. Summer is your mom, not me. She earned that right. Even if I could leave my tribe, and I can’t…I would not try to take away what you and Summer have. Still, that said, I would like to be in your life. I’m not asking you to come live with me, but perhaps…I could visit you in Beacon every now and then.”

Yang was silent for a long moment. She was still not quite ready for that. Raven might have said she was sorry and let Yang beat the hell out of her as penance, but 17-year old wounds would not heal overnight. “Let me think about it,” Yang said finally. “I’m not…I’m not sure where I stand with you, Raven. Not yet.”

“I understand. If you said all was forgiven and we were friends, I’d say you were lying. And this is hard for me, too.” Raven smiled wryly. “It’s not like _I_ can come to terms with the fact that I managed to fuck everything up for 17 years. But Summer is getting a second chance, and I’d like one as well.” She looked at the moon again, hand on the hilt of her sword. “If you’d allow it. I wouldn’t really blame you if you told me to fuck off and die.”

“No,” Yang replied. “You’ve earned the right for me _not_ to say that.”

Raven gave her a sidelong look. “Bet it felt good to knock seven bales of shit out of me, didn’t it?”

Yang grinned. “Sure as hell did.”

Raven put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Attagirl. Send the adults out here. Summer too.” She paused. “I love you, Yang. I should’ve been saying those words a long time ago.” She held up a hand when Yang opened her mouth. “No. Don’t say it. You don’t mean it. You don’t love me. Just like me for now. Or not hate me. Love can come later.”

Yang nodded, because Raven spoke the truth. “I’m going to hug you, anyway.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Bring that shit in here.” The two women embraced for a moment, Raven slapped her back, and Yang, after a long look at her mother, went inside. Summer, Tai and Qrow walked out a minute later. “I told Yang I’m not coming between you, Summer. Or you, Tai. We might visit now and then, for now. That’s all either one of us are capable of.”

Qrow stared at his sister. “I didn’t want to say this in front of the girls,” he growled, “but just because you let Yang beat hell out of you doesn’t mean all is forgiven.”

“Of course it isn’t,” Raven shot back. “You and I need to have a chat, brother of mine. But not here, and not now. You know where camp is, and how to find me.” Summer and Tai glanced at each other; Yang and Raven might be on the road to reconciliation, but the twins were not. “Summer, Tai, thank you for having me, and not throwing me out on my ass.”

Summer took Raven’s hands. “Raven, you’re always welcome.”

“Except when you and Tai are getting ready to bump boots?” She winked at them. “Oh, I know the look. I interrupted something this afternoon. Trust me, I’ll call first. Or caw or something.” 

“That would be great, yeah,” Tai said. “But otherwise, yes.”

“You have a greater reason to hate me than anyone else, Tai,” Raven said softly.

“Probably. And I won’t lie, it would feel pretty damn good to sock you too. But you brought Summer back to me, Raven. And you’ve grown up.”

“I know, right?” Raven laughed. “It sucks.” She dropped her voice. “Something all of you should know. Salem’s not letting grass grow under her feet; she’s up to something. I’m not sure letting Summer go was just because she’s a mama or out of cruelty. I think she wanted Summer to be a distraction. For what, I don’t know.”

“How do you know that?” Qrow asked.

Raven took a deep breath. If she said what she needed to, there was no going back. She was committing herself and the Branwen Tribe to Ozpin’s side, and Salem would happily wipe out the tribe if she did that. But while Raven assumed she’d probably be damned anyway, she would definitely be if she condemned these people she still loved, those who gave her a second chance she didn’t deserve. Salem offered nothing but at best leaving Raven alone, and she doubted the witch meant even that. “Salem is planning an attack on Remnant. A big one. I don’t know the details—I swear by the Brothers I don’t—but she’s going to hit them one at a time, and roll them up like a carpet. I think Beacon might be the first target, but it might be Atlas or Vacuo.”

Tai rubbed his chin. “We’ll have to tell Ozpin. You know that.”

“Yes.”

“Taking a side, Raven?” Qrow raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised. Usually you run.”

Raven smiled sweetly. “Fuck you, Qrow. I’m not doing this for you or Ozpin. I’m doing it for Yang. And Summer and Tai.” She felt her anger rising, at her brother and Ozpin, and knew it was time to leave. “I think that’s my cue.” She hugged Summer. “Gods, it’s good to have you back, even if you’re still naïve as hell.”

“And it’s good to see you, even if you’re still as grumpy as hell.” Summer returned the hug. Raven stood on tiptoe and kissed Tai’s cheek, then faced Qrow. “You want a kiss, Qrow?”

“Not in particular.”

“Well, I tried.” Raven turned and walked away, drawing her sword. A quick slash, and a blood-red portal opened before her. She stole one glance back, hoping to see Yang, but she hadn’t come back out. Qrow wasn’t there either. Summer waved, and, after a moment, so did Tai. Raven was seized with the sudden desire to go back and kiss Tai like they kissed when they were married, full of longing and lust and love. She barely fought it down, and to her surprise, her Spring Maiden powers flared. Luckily, she was able to turn her back in time before Summer and Tai saw the glowing fire around her eyes. _That’s weird,_ she thought as she stepped through the portal. 

Tai and Summer walked back into the house. “Well, folks,” Summer yawned, “I think we need to call it a night. You girls can stay up if you like, but Tai and I are hitting the sack.” Summer wasn’t actually that tired, but Raven had reminded her that Summer needed to pick up where she and Tai had left off.

Qrow headed for the front door. “I’m gonna go for a walk. I need to clear my head.”

“I can go with you, Uncle Qrow,” Ruby offered. 

“Nah, I’d rather you didn’t,” Qrow replied. “Need to be alone for awhile, kiddo.”

“Sure.” Ruby understood. 

“Actually,” Weiss said with a yawn herself, “I think I’m turning in too. All right if I take a shower first?” Summer nodded, and Weiss headed upstairs. Ruby, Yang and Blake helped clean up, then they too decided it was getting a bit late, and followed Summer and Tai upstairs. They left the door unlocked for Qrow, and Zwei took up position at the door.

In the bathroom, Weiss took off her clothes and switched on the shower, making sure the water was warm. Before she got in, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She checked her reflection, turning in place. “Not bad,” she murmured. True, her bust wasn’t much to write home about, but the Schnee women weren’t particularly well-endowed. She ran a hand over her rear, and slapped it, grinning. _I may not have much in the way of breasts,_ she thought, _but I have a really nice butt._ Weiss caught herself running her hands over her backside, which felt much better than it should. “Odd,” she said. Then she shrugged, laughed a little, and climbed into the shower.

Weiss let the shower wet her down, especially her hair; freed from its bun, it fell to her thighs. It was a pain to take care of, but she loved her long hair. Weiss took the soap, lathered up, and began washing herself. In passing, she noticed her nipples had gotten stiff, although the bathroom was not in the least cold. She brushed against them, to see if they would go down, but her soapy hands sent a thrill through her whole body. She did it again, and they seemed to get harder. Weiss chuckled at herself. “Really?” she whispered. “I suppose it has been awhile.”

As a rule, Weiss rarely indulged in self-pleasure. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the feeling, it was just that she rarely had time for it. She was not the type who could get turned on easily, though once she did, Weiss would spend hours at it. Besides, at Beacon, the only place she could do that sort of thing was in the shower, and someone else from Team RWBY would give her hell about using all the hot water. In the whole time she had been at Beacon, Weiss had masturbated once—when the other three had gone to the arcades in an attempt to cheer Blake up.

“Well, why not,” she said, and carefully lowered herself to a squatting position, resting her knees on either side of the bathtub. She quickly glanced at the door to make sure it was locked—it would be _just_ like Yang to walk in on her, or worse, Ruby—then used her fingers to open herself up, spreading the nether lips below the tuft of white hair. She always started off like this, an almost clinical inspection of the equipment. “Looks like everything’s still there,” Weiss grinned, and ran a soapy finger over her clitoris. The touch caused her to gasp in surprise, and she nearly slipped. Before she realized it, she had plunged her middle fingers into herself. “Oooh, _gods,”_ she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice down. It felt so incredibly good, and Weiss wondered why she didn’t do this more often.

To keep herself from hurting herself, Weiss sat down on the bath floor, putting her head under the shower as her fingers thrust into herself almost of their own volition. It was her own sexual fantasy, of having sex under a waterfall, preferably with a hunky guy. She didn’t have anyone in particular in mind, just someone with a lot of muscles and a very big tool. Weiss felt ashamed to even think that, but then asked herself why she felt ashamed. Her breath started coming faster and faster, and her free hand pinched a nipple, stretched it, the pain mixing wonderfully with the pleasure. 

Weiss felt her orgasm building, and had no idea why. For one thing, she rarely stimulated herself with such violence, preferring the slow burn to white-hot. Then her mind decided to take the next few minutes off, as pleasure overwhelmed everything. She was now thrusting at the air, on her knees, her fingers curling upwards. It took every ounce of her remaining self-control not to scream when she came, and she covered her mouth with her free hand when she did. Weiss’ eyes rolled back to the whites as she tried not to moan too loudly. Once the contractions slowed and stopped, Weiss slumped back down, turning her face to the shower to get some water to her parched throat.

“What is wrong with me?” Weiss asked herself. She had _never_ gotten off that fast. Not even when she was younger and discovering sex for the first time. She felt terrible. _What are you doing, Weiss?_ she yelled silently. _Rutting on the bathroom floor like some shameless hussy! Yes, it’s true, I probably needed the release, but I’m a guest here! How disgusting._

Weiss quickly washed her hair, careful not to hit her nipples or her groin; she still felt sensitive, though no longer overcome with the sudden lust. Drying off was a bit of a chore, because of the constant temptation to rub the towel between her legs and have another orgasm. Besides getting rug burn, she was not going to do it again—not here. She had been truly lucky that neither Summer nor Tai had knocked on the door, as the bathroom adjoined their room. Weiss put on her underwear and pajamas, and walked over to her room with Ruby. She grabbed the doorknob, turned it—and then stopped herself.

The Schnees had something of an ability to sense magic, tied to their ability to summon. Weiss suddenly realized she had felt something before the wave of lust hit her. With horror, she wondered if it was this Salem character. A witch could cast spells, could she not? Though Weiss didn’t really believe in magic—the Schnees believed their summoning was tied to their Semblances—Summer Rose being alive was living proof that magic, in some form, did exist. Was she casting it on the house? Toying with Summer, with all of them? 

There was only one way to find out. Well, there were three ways, but Weiss wasn’t about to listen at Summer and Tai’s door, and she was terrified of doing it to Blake and Yang—not because she worried about them doing anything, because both were straight, but because one or the other might catch her, and she’d never hear the end of it. That left Ruby.

Weiss went scarlet. Ruby was 15, old enough to know what sex was, and surely old enough to have tried what Weiss had just done. Still, Ruby was a teenager, even if she was only two years younger than Weiss herself, and this was beyond wrong to listen in if something was going on. And yet, it would be worse if Weiss just barged in. Hesitantly, she put her ear to the door. 

Silence.

Of course, Weiss thought, Ruby could be one of those women who just were very quiet when they had sex. Not everyone was a screamer—like Yang, who had woken Weiss up (and, she was fairly certain, the rest of Team RWBY and possibly JNPR) one night. Ruby might be more like Blake, who either never did anything with herself or was so quiet that she could be doing it every night with none the wiser. 

Nonetheless, she couldn’t sit out in the hall all night. Steeling herself, determined that no matter what she saw, Ruby would always be her friend—they were all girls, all built the same, and their physiological reactions would be largely the same—Weiss walked into the bedroom.

Ruby lay on the bed. In her pajamas. Reading a comic book. “Oh, hey, Weiss,” she said, looking up. “Water pressure okay? You took awhile.”

“Um, yes. Yes, everything’s fine.” Weiss went over, noticed that the tent was taken down, and sat on one of the chairs to brush her hair. “Ruby…can I ask you something…personal?”

Ruby put down the comic book. “Sure, Weiss. What’s up?”

“I don’t know how to put this, but did you, just now…feel strange?”

Her battle partner gave it some thought. “Not really. Felt a little hungry.” She motioned to a plate of cookies. 

Weiss stopped brushing her hair. Ruby loved cookies to the point of obsession, but Weiss doubted very much that the pleasure of baked goods extended to being sexual. “You didn’t feel…weird?”

Ruby stared at her. “Weiss, what is going on?”

Weiss cursed softly. She was going to have to come out and say it, otherwise they’d just dance around it and she’d look even more the fool than she did now. “Ruby, please don’t hate me for saying this, but…while I was in the bathroom, I felt this…unbelievable…wave of…well…lust.”

Ruby took a bite out of a cookie. “Huh. Well, explains why you took so long.” She shrugged. “As long as you cleaned up after yourself, I don’t mind. We girls have needs.”

“No, you don’t understand—“ Weiss began.

Ruby laughed. “Weiss, I’m old enough! Cheese and crackers, Dad’s given me the talk, and so has Yang!” She rolled her eyes. “Just because I look like I’m twelve doesn’t mean I am. I mean…” she blushed a little “…I’m still a virgin and all. No boyfriend or nothing. Yang isn’t, and I’m pretty sure Blake isn’t.” She looked at Weiss. “Uh, are you…”

Weiss buried her face in her hair and muffled a scream. “Yes! Ruby, I am a virgin! There! I said it!”

“Well, you’re older than me, so I didn’t want to just assume. Dad says assuming makes an ass out of you and—“

“I’m familiar with the term!” Weiss rubbed her forehead. “Ruby, it wasn’t natural. Yes, I don’t do…that…very often, but this was overwhelming! I couldn’t stop myself! And I’ve never gotten off that fast!” The words were out before Weiss realized it, and she put her head on her knees. “Oh gods. Ruby, if you repeat any of this to anyone, especially your sister…”

“Weiss, I wouldn’t do anything like that. You’re my friend.” She offered a cookie. “Anyway, I didn’t feel anything.”

Weiss pounded her head on her knees. She was losing her mind. Or she was overthinking it. Maybe it had just been so long that her body had reacted accordingly to the sudden stimulation. “Ugghhh.”

“Cookie?” Ruby offered again. 

Weiss looked up through strands of white hair. “Ruby, I think someone just cast a magic spell on me, except that magic doesn’t exist, and I just masturbated frantically on the bathtub floor of my friend and battle partner’s parents’ bathroom, which I am now freely admitting to you, which feels like I’m somehow corrupting you because of your damned peaches-and-cream exterior, which you clearly inherited from your mother. I am ashamed of myself and feel like a world-class jerk. And a cookie is going to help that?”

“Well,” Ruby replied placidly, “it can’t hurt.” Weiss couldn’t argue with that logic, so she took the cookie. The other girl poured her a glass of milk, then toasted her. As Weiss drank—she was still rather thirsty—Ruby asked, “So, who were you thinking about when you were getting yourself off?”

Weiss nearly spit milk all over her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we know Weiss isn't imagining things, but she doesn't, and neither does Ruby. Why wasn't Ruby affected? Ozpin's words in the last chapter hold a clue. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your POV), that's not good news for Yang or Blake. So what's going on next door?
> 
> Prepare for the buzzing of certain bees...


	13. The Heat of the Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they get ready to go to sleep, Yang starts writing down her harem as a joke, while Blake dives into Ninjas of Love. Both are about to get more than they bargained for.

_The House of Taiyang and Summer_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_About Five Minutes After Weiss Went Into the Shower_

Yang flopped onto the bed, a notepad in hand, wearing her regular pajamas—if they could be called that, since it was just a tank top and loose shorts. Blake had changed into her yukata, made sure it was sinched tight this time, and climbed into bed. Defiantly, she had brought out _Ninjas of Love_ and begun reading it. Her friend didn’t seem to notice.

Yang wrote at the top of her notepad: Harem. She’d given it some thought today, before Raven arrived, and now considered it more of a joke than anything else. Raven’s arrival did reinforce the fact that Taiyang Xiao Long definitely was good at attracting the opposite sex, but while Yang still liked the idea of her own harem, it was now more of who she’d like to hang out with rather than who she would like to have sex with.

“Hey, Blake?” Yang asked.

“Mm?” Blake turned the page. The kunoichi, Kuroko, was sneaking into the daimyo’s fortress to steal the Sacred Sword of Demon Slaying. What Kuroko didn’t know was that her ninja clan had betrayed her, and she was walking into a trap.

“You wanna be in my harem?” Yang said it mainly to see if she could get a rise out of Blake.

“Sure,” Blake replied absently. 

Yang chuckled and wrote _Blake_ under the heading. _Let’s see,_ she thought, _who else could I put into it?_ She chewed on the pen for a moment, then wrote _Pyrrha._ “Yeah, there we go. Pyrrha’s awesome,” she murmured.

“What did you say?” Blake asked.

“Nothing,” Yang told her. Blake nodded and turned the next page. She swallowed nervously. Kuroko was over the fortress wall and scaling the central donjon, but still hadn’t noticed the trap. _She’s got to figure it out!_ Blake thought in alarm. _It’s too easy, Kuroko!_

_Gee,_ Yang thought, _I might want to get some dudes in here. It’s not like I’m a lesbian or anything._ She gave it some more thought, and wrote _Jaune._ That was fine. Jaune was kind of a dork, but he was nice looking enough, and a nice guy besides. Of course, Pyrrha would probably flay alive anyone who came close, but since both Pyrrha and Jaune were on the list, that made it all right. A brief thought of a threesome came to mind, but Yang shook that off. Thinking of threesomes made her think of her parents. She’d probably take that memory to her grave.

Blake chewed her bottom lip unconsciously as she kept reading. Now Kuroko was in through the window, and—the central room of the donjon had no guards. _Now she’s suspicious. But why would the daimyo leave the sword unguarded?_ She flipped the page. 

_“Come no further, Kuroko!” shouted Taiyoko. She was dressed in her custom armor, armed with a naginata. “You will never escape here alive! Even if you somehow get past me, the garrison below is on alert! You broke into my castle only to put yourself into a trap, kunoichi!”_

 _Oh, shit,_ Blake thought. _Kuroko’s dead. Taiyoko’s the daimyo’s daughter, and she’s an expert with polearms. How’s Kuroko going to get out of this?_

_What about Weiss?_ Yang asked herself. _Damn, Yang, she’s your friend and part of your team. But…nah. She’s too prissy and doesn’t like to have fun. I could never have sex with her…probably get frostbite on my tong—_ Yang blinked and shook her head. _Where the hell did_ that _come from?_

She went back to JNPR. Ren and Nora? _No,_ Yang thought, _they’ve only got eyes for each other, and I’ve already sworn off threesomes. So no Renora. Besides, Nora would probably snap my neck with those thunder thighs of hers if I went down on her, and…what the_ fuck, _Yang?_

Yang glanced over at Blake, who sat cross-legged, reading her book. _Damn. If Blakey wasn’t here, I’d go and grab Big Guy._ In the middle of dinner, Yang had excused herself, run into her room, and looked in the secret spot in her dresser. There was a pile of old underwear, one she knew her father would never mess with, and underneath were her toys. She’d bought a few, when she’d got the courage enough to sneak into the Ladies and Gentlemen shop in Patch Island City. They were still there, undisturbed in their plastic wrapping. 

_Back to the list, Yang. And quit thinking about sex. Hmm…Sun? Oh, hell yes. Those abs and pecs? He could clean my plow anytime. I bet he’s got a big dic…okay, that’s it._ Yang smiled to herself. _At least I’m thinking about a guy this time._

_Kuroko set her ninja-to on the floor in front of her as she knelt, and bowed deeply to Taiyoko. She had to think fast, or she would not see the dawn. “Taiyoko-san, I know what you have been told. I know I have been betrayed by my clan. But I assure you, I am not here for whatever treasure you may have.”_

_Taiyoko squatted, leaning on her naginata. “You lie, kunoichi. But for my amusement, tell me—what are you here for?”_

_“I am here for you, my lady.” Kuroko stood, unwrapped the mask and hood, letting her long black hair fall free. “I am here…for you.”_

_Taiyoko stood and leveled the naginata. “Then you will die on my blade.”_

_“No, my lady. Not like that.” Kuroko undid her belt and let that fall to the floor, then opened her tunic._

_“You intend to commit seppuku?” Taiyoko asked in wonder._

_“I may be forced to, before the day is over. But before I do, I wish to make love to you, Taiyoko.”_

_Taiyoko dropped her naginata in shock. “Make…love?”_

_The tunic was now on the floor, and Kuroko undid her breast wrap, freeing her bosom. “I want you, Taiyoko. Like a man at sea needs land, I need you.”_

_“But I…it is forbidden for…women to lie with each other!”_

_Kuroko pushed up her breasts, as if for Taiyoko to inspect. “Nevertheless, my lady, I am yours. If you will not love me, I shall commit seppuku. But I shall die unhappy, and become a gaki!”_

Blake’s eyes were big. _Oh my gods. Never saw that coming. They’re going to…wow._ As she read, Taiyoko, completely taken aback, was frozen, and Kuroko simply walked up to her and kissed her. As their tongues intertwined on the page, Blake’s tongue moistened suddenly dry lips. 

Yang wrote _Neptune_ on her list. He might be afraid of water, but he was getting _her_ wet. Yang slowly bent her head until it hit the list. _All right. I’m tired of this. I’m so horny right now the crack of dawn isn’t safe._

“Hey, Blake?”

Blake jumped, startled. “Uh, yes?”

“I’m going to hit the sack and turn off the light. Can you read okay by the moonlight?”

“Oh! Yes, of course. My Faunus eyesight and all.”

“Okay. G’night, Blakey.”

“Good night, Yang.” 

Yang switched off the light and got under the covers, as Blake scooted around to put the book into the moonlight. That made it more romantic, somehow. Whoever this Eihei was, he knew how to write. She wondered if he was on the internet. _Perhaps he’s on AO3…no, that’s silly,_ Blake thought. _Big time author like him wouldn’t be writing fanfics._

Yang, for her part, waited until all she could hear from Blake was her breathing, which seemed oddly heavy. Then she slowly pulled down her shorts and panties under the covers. This was going to have to be stealthy, but Yang had rubbed one out on several occasions without Team RWBY knowing about it. Though she’d have to be careful, as she tended to start muttering dirty words and occasionally screaming them. Luckily, Team RWBY slept like rocks and they’d never noticed. _Nice to know I get that from my biological mother,_ Yang thought sourly. Well, if thinking of Raven broke her of the habit of being a screamer, then that was just as well. Then she kicked those thoughts into a corner, slammed a metaphysical door, and started thinking about something more sexy. Like Blake’s breast, peeking out of her yukata that morning. _Oh gods,_ Yang groaned inwardly, _I am not a lesbian! Quit thinking about Blake’s boob!_

Blake’s hands on the pages of _Ninjas of Love_ were shaking by this time. Kuroko was taking off Taiyoko’s armor, and taking her own sweet time about it, slowly exposing the daimyo’s daughter, who in turn was getting more and more aroused—and Eihei was going into detail about it! Blake almost whimpered as Kuroko licked Taiyoko’s nipples into erectness, then rolled them around on her tongue. She felt her own nipples hardening, and a growing ache between her legs. It was by far not the first time Blake had been aroused herself by _Ninjas of Love_ , but she wasn’t really in a position to do anything about it. Then she glanced over the book at Yang, whose back was to her under the covers. If she was asleep, Blake mused, then she might be able to get away with it. The only good thing about being lovers with Adam Taurus was that she had learned to be very quiet when it came to sex. Early in their relationship, he had been sneaking into her parents’ mansion, and if Ghira found out his daughter was making passionate love to Adam Taurus, the White Fang field commander’s life would’ve been measured in minutes. If Kali Belladonna found out about it, it would’ve been measured in seconds. In any case, Blake pleasured herself frequently, and not even Yang was aware of it. 

As Taiyoko finally gave into the lust swelling in her, Blake did too. Her fingers crept below the yukata belt, under the waistband of her panties, over the coarse hairs there, and found what she was looking for. As she touched the little nub, Blake gasped at the bolt of desire that shot through her. She slapped her free hand over her mouth, dropping the book.

Yang was running her fingers over her own coarse hairs at the junction of her thighs, idly, as she was trying to think of a good scenario. Early on in her sexual career, Yang had discovered that she needed something, a story to base her fantasy around. Sometimes it was being made love to by a big guy while she was on Bumblebee. Sometimes it was after a Grimm fight, in which her partner, which was definitely not Blake (but maybe a male version of her), turned on by the fight, would take her next to the smoldering remains of a Grimm horde. One of her favorites was being in the middle of Amity Arena, taken from behind by a hunky dude while the crowds cheered, and Yang being unable to stop even as the entire world saw her having sex. 

_Oh yeah,_ Yang thought, _that’s the stuff right there. Amity Arena, let’s get ready to rumble!_ She envisioned herself naked on the floor of the arena, which she’d seen a hundred times on television, on all fours. Then a man with the body of a wrestler—say, she thought, a cross between Sean Cena and Oren Rorton—would come out to the cheers of the crowd, shed his boxers, and begin with some foreplay. But tonight, as Yang’s fingers found her already damp folds, there was no foreplay. Just a quick thrust inside. 

The problem was, at the angle she was at, she really couldn’t do any thrusting of her own. She needed to be on her back. Well, the lights were off, and Blake was engrossed in her book, so she probably wouldn’t notice, right? Yang slowly turned back over, lay back on her pillow, and trailed her fingers back into place.

Then she heard a loud thump, and involuntarily, opened her eyes and looked over. Blake was sitting, one hand over her mouth, the other down inside her pants. The thump was _Ninjas of Love_ hitting the floor. Their eyes met, yellow on lilac. 

At that moment, all Blake saw was herself as Kuroko and Yang as Taiyoko. _What am I doing, what am I doing, what am I doing_ ran around in her head as she slowly stood, bathed in moonlight, and pulled off her yukata. She stood there, shaking, now only wearing her panties and her ribbon. 

“B-Blake?” Yang whispered. Blake took two steps forward, got onto the bed, and straddled her, her yellow eyes shining in the darkness. 

“I am here for you, my lady,” Blake said softly, almost in a purr.

“But…but…but…I’m not a lesbian!”

“Neither am I,” Blake said throatily. “Our love is forbidden. Women cannot lie with women.”

“Well, you know, that's not very open-minded—“ Blake’s lips swept down hungrily on Yang’s, mouth open and tongue probing. Yang met the tongue with her own, and her eyes fluttered closed as desire flooded her body. “Oh, the hell with it,” Yang said between licks. “Let’s be lesbians.”

“We shall lie together in defiance of the gods!” Blake exclaimed, and did not take off her panties so much as she tore them off. Now she was completely naked, and Yang could see the wetness shining between her thighs. She reached up to untie the ribbon, but Yang, her own vision swimming a bit, said hoarsely, “Leave that on.”

“As my lady commands,” Blake said, bowing her head. 

_Whoa. Blake as my slave of love?_ Yang’s mind was rapidly being swamped by waves of lust, but that thought broke through. _Oh, gimme a hell yeah!_ She sat up on her pillows. “Blake. Your mistress commands you to…um...suck it!”

Blake blinked in confusion. “Suck what?”

“My cli—“ Yang stopped herself. That was too much like Raven. _Way_ too much. “My…er…my love…button?”

Blake walked backwards on her knees, bowed deeply with her head touching the covers and her hands in front of her, then slid forward. Yang’s shorts and underwear were already around her knees, so she took those off quickly enough, and positioned herself, over the soft spray of Yang’s nether curls. “My mistress must open her legs for this unworthy kunoichi.”

Yang had no idea what the hell a kunoichi was, but she got the rest. “Uh, okay.” She parted her thighs a bit, and saw that Blake was getting closer. _Wait, wait, wait!_ her mind suddenly screamed. _You can’t do this! Blake is your friend! Your best friend! And you’ve never had anyone go down on you and oh hell that’s her tongue on me!_ Yang stopped thinking so much as Blake, a smile on her lips, dragged her tongue over the engorged clitoris. Then she bent forward and put her lips on it, and Yang nearly levitated. After rolling her tongue over it some more, and listening to Yang begin to make whining noises, she lifted herself up on her elbows. “Is my mistress pleased?”

“You bet your ass she’s pleased!” Yang said, trying to keep her voice down. Blake narrowed her eyes at her, and Yang bit her lip. “Uh, I mean, yes, unworthy kunoichi, your lady is very pleased. And she didn’t tell you to stop.”

“By your command,” Blake said robotically, which was simutaneously arousing and disconcerting at the same time, and she went back to licking Yang, who turned bright red—not just because she was getting flushed and hot, but because she had realized she was starting to sound more like Raven by the minute, and it was ruining her fantasy. If her core hadn’t felt like someone was starting a bonfire in it, she would’ve kicked Blake off and run and hid in the hall closet. 

Yang’s breathing was starting to become ragged, and she bit her tongue so hard it bled a little, because every instinct she had was to start screaming filthy words—it was what she usually did—but not only would it wake up everyone in the house, such as her _parents,_ it was also not what Blake expected in her mistress. “B-Blak…Blek…”

“Yes, my lady?” Blake’s pupils were huge in the darkness.

“Ahh…fingers…use ‘em…”

That reminded Blake of her own needs. Somehow, roleplaying as Kuroko was a gigantic turn-on, and she could feel moisture running down her leg. “Please, my lady, I beg of thee: may I use my fingers on myself while I use my tongue on you?”

“Sure…whatevs…” Yang tried to focus. Even Blake’s _breath_ on her opening was a turn-on. “Err…yes, kunoichi, you may pleasure…yourself…like…um…like a dirty monkey.” It wasn’t the best she could do, but Yang wasn’t quite at her best at the moment.

Blake needed no further incentive. As she returned to Yang, her hands went back to plunge inside her. Although she was a skilled Huntress—well, Huntress in training—Blake was also not at her best, and she was having trouble ministrating to Yang while pleasuring herself at the same time. Her overwhelmed mind was torn between pleasing her mistress like a good kunoichi or bringing herself to orgasm like a bad one. But as a famous general once said, he who defends everything defends nothing, and Blake chose the latter path. Her backside in the air, Blake pressed her fingers against herself and buried her face, partially in the covers and partially in Yang’s crotch as she came with a ferocity she had rarely known. 

Yang was so nearly there herself that she thought Blake was trying something new. “Oh, yeah, this ride has no blakes,” she moaned. 

Blake suddenly came to her senses. “What?” she said, except that it came out as “whtf?” Then, her vision cleared, and Blake bit back a scream as she found herself less than a half-inch from Yang’s vulva—just as Yang finally came herself. She did all the screaming necessary, but Yang, in one last act of coherent thought, had put a pillow over her face. It stopped the noise, but Blake shot backwards as she got a front-row seat to her best friend’s orgasm. As she watched in horrified amazement, she brought up her hands to her mouth…and saw her fingers were wet. With the enhanced senses of a Faunus, she knew _why_ they were wet. As Yang twisted and squirmed her way through her climax, Blake closed her eyes. Her memories before seeing Yang looking at her were hazy, as if through gauze, but she did sort of remember what had just happened. “Holy shit,” she breathed.

Yang pulled the pillow off, puffing and sucking in fresh air. “Oh, fuck, Blake…oh, oops.” She lowered her voice a little. “Er…well done, kunoichi! You have pleasured your mistress!” Then she lowered her voice again, this time below what she thought Blake could hear. “Now what do we do…”

“Yang,” Blake said in a normal voice, “what the hell did we just do?”

Yang sat up on her elbows. “Blake? Uh, kunoichi?”

“Quit calling me…oh.” It was becoming more clearer, and suddenly, seppuku didn’t seem like a bad idea at that. “Yang…I just… _we_ just…”

Yang’s mind cleared a little too. “Blake…you just…well…” She was flustered, and when Yang was flustered, she fell back on her best defense: puns. “You just ate at Yang’s.”

“That’s one highly disgusting way to put it.” Blake suddenly grabbed a can of soda that had been left out on the dresser. It was flat and warm, but it got the taste out of her mouth. “Oh my gods, I just ate out my best friend.” Blake rolled off the bed in utter shame. “While getting myself off at the same time.”

Yang scrambled down the bed, realizing that her tank top and Blake’s ribbon were the only two pieces of clothing between them—and she had to adjust her tank top so she wasn’t flashing Blake, and Blake’s ribbon had become halfway untangled. “ _Bi_ the way, Blake—“

The Faunus girl looked up at the brawler. “Yang,” she sniffed, “Gambol Shroud is over there by my bedroll. Get it, pull out the gun, and shoot me between the eyes. I cannot live with this shame.”

“You serious?” Yang was a little scared at her tone of voice. “I mean, it’s not _that_ bad.”

Blake sighed, still covering her eyes. “Yang, I’m not…you know…”

“Gay?”

“No! I’ve only had one sexual partner, and it was Adam!”

“Who’s Adam?”

Blake moaned, and not with pleasure. She had never told Team RWBY about Adam, and now was not the time to go into details. “My ex. Never mind.”

“Was he hot?”

Blake reached up, grabbed Yang’s hair, and pulled her down so they were a lot closer. “Yang, now is not the time to talk about psycho ex-boyfriends! We. Just. Had. Sex!”

Yang shook herself free, and instead put her head over her folded arms, while still looking down at Blake, spreadeagled on the floor. “Speaking of that, you’re still nakey.”

“Yes, I had noticed. What’s the point? You’ve seen it all now.” She massaged her forehead. “Oh my gods…what are we going to tell Weiss and Ruby?”

“Not a damn thing.” Yang rolled her eyes. “Blake…okay, I don’t know why we just acted like we were in a bad erotic fanfic. And yeah, it’s awkward, though I can think of more awkward things.”

“Such as?”

“Yeah, that one I’m not sharing,” Yang snapped. “Anyway, look. So you had sex with me. It’s not like we have to get married now, unless that’s some Faunus thing. I mean, hell, it was fun, right?”

“Not really, Yang! I wasn’t in my right mind! I wasn’t…” Blake stopped. “Yang, why _did_ we do that?”

“I dunno. I mean, I’ve been horny as hell all weekend—“ _And I’m not going to tell you you were one reason why,_ Yang added to herself “—but you seduced _me!_ ”

“Don’t remind me.” She sat up. “But to suddenly lose control like that…don’t you find it odd?”

“It _is_ weird. I mean, I think you’re pretty, Blake—hell, you’re beautiful—but I didn’t think I went for girls.” Yang shrugged. “I guess I could live with being bi.”

“That’s just it, Yang. We _don’t_ go for girls, and yet we did anyway. We were…compelled.” Blake suddenly jumped to her feet, went over to the wall between Yang’s and Ruby’s room, and listened with both sets of ears. 

Yang put her head down. “Oh gods, Blake, please tell me my sister and Weiss aren’t getting it on over there.”

“No…they _are_ awake, but it sounds like they’re just talking. About…cookies or baking or something.” Blake stared back at Yang. “Ruby doesn’t have a weird food fetish, does she?”

“I’m not sure my sister knows what fetishes are. She’s really innocent, you know.” Yang got up, decided it was kind of stupid to be wearing the tank top and nothing else, and pulled it off. “You know what? Let’s just go back to bed. We can figure this crap out in the morning.”

“We should tell Weiss and Ruby.”

“Oh, sure. What are we going to tell them? ‘Hey, Rubes, hey, Weissy, Blake just went down on me while she fingered herself. Not sure how we’re going to work that into our Bumblebee attack, but it will distract the hell out of the Grimm!’” Despite herself, Blake had to muffle her giggles. “Besides, Blake, whatever happened to us, it could happen again. And if you’re embarrassed about getting it on with me, you’ll be even more embarrassed if you get it on with me in front of Weiss and my sister _.”_

“Ugh. That would be bad. Or worse… _with_ Weiss and your sister.”

Yang looked nauseated. “Now I’m open to some weird shit when it comes to sex, Blake, but I draw the damn line at incest.”

“That’s just it, Yang. What if we couldn’t control ourselves?” Blake sat down on the bed, wrapping her arms around herself. “You’re right. We should quarantine ourselves, at least until the morning.”

“Unless we have to go to the bathroom.”

“Shit. I didn’t think of that.” Blake sighed. “We’ll have to chance that, unless we feel like going out the window.”

“Gross, Blake. My dad’s sunflowers are down there.” Yang laid down on the bed. “We’re going to have to tell someone, so…I tell you what. I’ll talk to Mom. I can talk with her about anything…or at least, I think I can.”

“You’re talking about Summer, right?” Blake smiled at Yang’s nod. “It’s a good idea, Yang. She might know what happened. She’s got some experience at strange things.”

_You have no idea,_ Yang thought. She drew up her feet and got back under the covers. Blake sat on the bed for a moment, then crawled under the covers with her. “I’m feeling very insecure right now,” she explained. 

“We’re both still naked, you know.”

Blake yawned. “I am beyond caring about that, Yang.” She stole a pillow, rolled over, and tried to sleep. Yang did the same. 

“Hey, Blake,” she said after a bit.

“Mm?”

“If it was something that we couldn’t control…I’m glad I was with you.” She reached over and took Blake’s hand. “You’re my best friend, Blake Belladonna.”

Blake squeezed her hand. “You’re _my_ best friend, Yang Xiao Long. I suppose if I’m going to have a female lover in my past…well, I’m glad it was you, too.” She let go of Yang’s hand, but it still felt warm. “I’m not going to kiss you goodnight, though.”

“Aww.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, a lot of puns, inside jokes (if you speak a little Japanese, or used an online translator like I did) and fourth-wall leaning in this chapter. Poor Yang and Blake. They're strangled by the red thread of destiny in my stories, no matter which one they're in. 
> 
> Next chapter? Next morning. The wave hit Weiss, Blake and Yang...but did it get Tai and Summer too?


	14. Broken Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salem has enjoyed her time with Sun, but when he takes his affection too far, she decides to show him who she really is. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for Sun, he's not easily scared. And he has some things to say that Salem needs to hear, because no one in centuries has had the courage to say it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of know where the story is going now, though I'm still working on the ending. This one's more of a feels rather than funny chapter. 
> 
> There may be a delay in the next one, so if there's no chapter tomorrow night, don't panic. I need to not get burned out on this story, and do some more updates on "On RWBY Wings."

_Vacuo Beach_

_Realm of Vacuo, World of Remnant_

_The Next Day_

Salem stood near the window, sipping coffee—a morning routine she’d had for centuries. She was still nude, but still in her disguise. One thing she wasn’t was alone. On the bed, still sleeping peacefully, was Sun Wukong. 

After a short nap the day before, he had left her, as he had some friends to see, but later that night, while she tried to stave off the brooding with a good book, he had called her room to see if he could stop by and say hello. Salem was not fooled, and smiled to herself as she agreed: she still had it. Men were not only easily led, but they came back for more. They had made love again, and it was as excellent as the first time. He had fallen asleep again, which was not surprising, but what had surprised Salem was that _she_ had fallen asleep this time…and slept pleasantly through the night, to awake with his arms around her. She had extricated herself from his embrace, gotten up, fixed some coffee, and knew that she had to stop brooding: she needed to think about this.

She was not in love with Sun; not even close. He was a masterful lover for such a young man, but she was sure there were a million other Sun Wukongs if she cared to find them. He had been a pleasant distraction, and nothing more. No, she did not love Sun, though she liked him—and that in itself was an achievement, because Salem did not tend to like people at all. There was no question of taking him back to her realm and using him as a lover. It would cause problems, probably backfire spectacularly, and lead to a grisly death. She would leave him, possibly as soon as this day, and never see him again, leaving them both with pleasant memories. That was not what bothered her.

What bothered her was the fact that she had quite liked waking up next to someone. 

When Salem slept—she no longer needed sleep, but enjoyed it as a way to unwind—it was always alone. Naturally, in her realm, she had no lovers. Her fingers tightened around the coffee cup handle, because she knew she was thinking of Ozma. Even thousands of years later, she still remembered what it was like to wake up naked in his arms, days after he’d freed her from the tower, and what it was like to love and be loved. Despite herself, she smiled at the memory. They’d rented a hotel room far from her dead father’s realm and stayed there for a week, ordering room service and never getting dressed. They had lay naked the whole time, eating, bathing, loving, or just talking. Their love had started when Ozma had carved his way through an army to reach her; it had blossomed in that blissful week. That week was what had led to their marriage, their adventures—and her willingness to defy even the gods, to end an entire world, to have that again.

Often Salem could solve any problem, with time, and time was something she had far too much of. But this problem she could not solve. She sipped at the coffee again, and felt the old frustration and hate.

“Mmmfff.” Salem turned to see Sun stirring. He rolled over, saw her, and smiled at her naked form. “Well, now that’s a good morning.”

Her frustration didn’t disappear, but it was lessened some. “Good morning to you as well.” She motioned to the little coffee maker. “Have some coffee, then perhaps, we can get some breakfast.” She knew she should order him away, but she wasn’t quite willing to. Not yet. She turned back to the window, and watching the surf.

She gave a small start as he came up behind her, and nuzzled her neck. “I think I’ll have some breakfast now,” he growled, which wasn’t very intimidating. 

Salem rolled her eyes and drank her coffee. “What a corny line.”

Sun nodded. “Yeah. I guess it was pretty bad. Well, as they say at Beacon, deeds not words.” And with that, he grabbed her left leg, got an arm under it, and lifted it until she was held up only by her right leg and his powerful arms. She felt his erection against her backside, then its tip against her nether lips.

The problem was, Salem wasn’t in the mood. Still holding her coffee, she turned back to him. “No.”

“You’re not in a very good bargaining position,” Sun joked, and slid himself against her.

She put some steel into her voice. “I said _no._ ” The room seemed to get just a bit darker, her voice just a little deeper. 

He let go of her and stepped back, hands and tail up as if to ward off evil—which wasn’t a bad analogy. “Whoa. Sorry. I was just trying to get you going.”

She turned and set the coffee down on the counter. “I admit standing here without my clothes on must have given you the wrong impression, and last night did not help.” She sighed and folded her hands in front of her groin, unconsciously covering that part of herself. “You should go, Sun Wukong. I thank you for…staying the night with me.”

Sun wanted to kick himself. He’d come on too strong. He did that sometimes without meaning to. “Okay, Salem. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You’ve nothing to apologize for.”

He started to gather his things, but then stopped and looked back at her. She was staring at the carpet, still in the same pose. “Hey, look. Maybe I’m out of line here, and you can tell me to go to hell if you like. But…is there something I can help you with? I’m a pretty good listener, too.” She said nothing. “Er…really. If there’s something wrong, maybe I can help!”

Her head came up, and he was surprised there were tears in those blue eyes—though not as surprised as she was. “Help? Help _me?”_ She waved her hand, and to Sun’s surprise, he heard the door lock itself. “You desire me, Sun Wukong?”

Sun did _not_ like where this was going. He shrank back against the bed. “Uh, well, I did a minute ago, but now you’re kind of scary—“

“Not as scary as I can be.” The curtains pulled themselves almost all the way shut, leaving only a little bit of light in the bedroom. 

Salem dropped the illusion.

Sun watched as the blond hair bleached itself into silvery gray. Her skin faded to almost translucent white, and spiderwebs of black veins climbed over her arms, cheeks, waist, and legs. Her nails, nipples, lips, and labia went from pale rosiness to dark gray. The blue eyes, still shining with tears, turned black and red. Her body was unchanged, though she seemed taller, somehow. She put her hands on her hips, standing legs slightly apart. “Now, Sun Wukong,” she said bitterly, “gaze upon me, and tell me you still desire me.”

“I do.”

Salem blinked. “What?”

Sun got to his feet. “I still desire you.”

“You do?" This wasn't going at all according to plan. "But…why?”

He walked towards her. He wasn’t completely unafraid, but he thought it extraordinarily weird that someone _wouldn’t_ find her attractive. True, her skin could use some sun—no pun intended—and the veins were a little offputting, but the lips were still full, the breasts still magnificent, the legs still long. And Sun sensed there was something else there besides the body that he was attracted to. He didn't love her either...but he liked the hell out of her, even now.

She put her arms up. “What—what are you—“

“What apparently someone should’ve done a long time ago, obviously.” And before Salem could react, Sun was kissing her. Her eyes widened, the red irises flaring, but as he continued to kiss her, licking those gray, cool lips, her eyes closed, her arms came down, and ran across the muscles in the back that she had learned to like a great deal. He left off her mouth and kissed her neck, ignoring the pulsing, black veins.

“Why…why are you doing this…” she stammered.

“Because you need me to.”

Salem gasped, because his tail was curling around her waist, holding her while one hand slipped between her thighs. “You can’t…you don’t know who I am…”

Sun pulled away and faced her. “Maybe I don’t care who you are. You’re just a pretty lady. A _damn_ pretty lady.” And then his fingers were in her, probing, and Salem decided she didn’t care much either. Her mind was whirling. By all rights, he should be cowering in a corner right now, while she decided between erasing his memory or erasing his existence. And instead, he was pushing her against the wall, his fingers finding the spots she liked, and her own fingers were on his back and neck as he trailed kisses down hers. 

“Please…” Salem wasn’t sure if she was begging him to stop or begging him to go faster. Sun took it as the latter, and she felt his fingers withdraw, knowing what was coming next. Slowly, his erection plunged inside to the hilt. “Aaah!” she shouted, not caring who heard. Now his hands were under her rear, lifting her up a little, then more until she was holding onto him with legs and arms, her back against the wall as he pushed into her again and again. 

Salem had been quiet the first two times, but now that she no longer needed to disguise herself, her fingers made minute movements, putting a cone of silence around them, walls of force in the hallways. No one would disturb them. Not that the spells had to last very long, because Salem herself knew _she_ wasn’t going to last long. She didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything, other than the exquisite lightning bolts shooting up her spine with every thrust that tore screams from her lips. 

Sun was near deafened, and wondered who had turned Gentle Widow Good Salem into Sex-Crazed Maniac Evil Salem. He was fine with it, though, because he kind of liked this side of her. She was abandoning herself, throwing restraint to the wind, and while he knew there was a possibility he might die, it would be with a grin on his face. 

Her screams rose to a fever pitch. “ _Aaah!”_ Sun heard the glass in the door cracking. _“Yessss! Now! Now! Noooow! Ah, Ozmaaaaa!”_ The glass exploded outwards, to shower over the balcony. No one on the beach heard it, but they definitely noticed the storm on the horizon, lightning flashing across as it rolled in faster than any storm they’d ever seen. Lifeguards blew whistles and people fled the water, as the surf began to rise.

Salem collapsed against him, now held up only by his arms, as she panted and tried to recover her breath, which was a bit strange, since technically she didn’t need to breathe. He withdrew from her, carried her gingerly over to the bed, and set her down. “Wow,” he said.

“Oh…” Salem weakly raised a hand, waved it, and the door restored itself to before. She dropped the spells, and the storm drifted into nothingness as soon as it had arose. 

“Does that, um, happen every time?”

“It…didn’t…happen…last night,” she puffed. 

“Well, no.” He sat down next to her. “Who did this to you?”

Salem got up to her elbows. “You’re still erect,” she noticed.

“Yeah, but it’s okay. That was for you, and…and okay, you can do that, not gonna stop you,” because Salem had thrown him onto his back, sat up, and taken him into her mouth. Not all the way, but far enough. She hadn’t done this last night, either. 

Sun didn’t last a full minute. He had been close before, and Salem had forgotten more than most women knew about pleasuring a man. “S-Salem—“ he warned, and then it was too late. He thought for sure she would pull herself away, gagging and spitting, but she didn’t, and as Sun watched with eyes the size of plates, she swallowed every bit of his seed. Once he was done, she slid him out of her mouth, licked him clean, and sat back on the bed. He'd never had a girl do that before, and what was weird--well, everything was weird, but this was weirder--she seemed replenished, as if she had drawn some sort of magic from him.

“Uh, water?” Sun was hoping she’d say no, because he didn’t know if he had the strength to get up. She merely smiled, and once more made casual gestures, almost sign language, with her hands. The room refrigerator opened up, a bottle of water floated over to them, and landed next to Sun, who gratefully popped the top off and drank. He offered it to her, and she drank as well.

“So who did this to you?” he repeated.

Salem had already made the decision that she was going to have to erase Sun’s memory. She’d leave him with sweet memories of Salem the Widow. But first, she needed to know a few things. “Have you ever heard of the tale of Salem the Witch?”

“Can’t say as I have. I…uh…admit that I don’t pay much attention in mythology class like I should.”

She avoided saying something about the quality of education at Beacon, and continued. “It’s a very long story, so let me give you the highlights. Or, rather, the lowlights.” 

Even so, her story took the better part of an hour and another bottle of water. Sun listened in fascinated wonder as she told him the story of the Lady in the Tower (that one he knew, but not the ending), of Ozma the Great and Powerful, of the cruel disease that took Ozma from her, the gods that would not give him back, and the curse they had put on her. And how a reincarnated Ozma had briefly defied the gods with her, but had betrayed her as well. She did not mention her children; that was a wound that she could not share with him. As it was, it was incredible enough, and Sun resolved to start paying more attention in Professor Oobleck’s history courses. Then again, learning history from a naked near-goddess did tend to make the lecture more fascinating.

When it was over, Sun sat in silence for a long time. “Huh,” he finally said. “So let me get this straight. You’re thousands of years old—which is fine; I’ve always liked older women—“ Salem found herself laughing at that one. “You’re the more-or-less Queen of the Grimm, and Ozpin is the reincarnation of this Ozma guy, who you’re still in love with—“

“I doubt I’m in love with him any longer,” Salem said.

“Yeah, you are. Salem, you went to war against the Brother Gods to get him back, and you screamed his name when you came. You still love him, big time.” Sun, who had a feeling Salem was going to kill him soon anyway, figured that he might as well give her the truth and make his death worth something. _Doesn’t matter,_ he thought, _had sex._

She sat up, pulling her legs up and resting her chin on her knees. It made her look oddly much younger. “I suppose you have a point.”

“Anyway, so you’ve been fighting this war against Ozma and whatever he reincarnates as for a really long time, and neither one of you have won.” He shrugged. “I don’t get it.”

“Ozma is a cunning foe, who knows my ways, as I know his.” She wasn’t about to tell him about the Relics or her plan to finally win the war and annihilate herself, and everyone else, through the gods’ judgement; then she _would_ have to kill him. 

“So he trains up Huntsmen like me and you send out Grimm, and we kill each other. Then sooner or later, he dies, he reincarnates, and you start all over again.” He turned to her. “Salem, you’re probably going to turn me into mulch or something, or turn me into a Grimm and then send me after my friends—“

_I hadn’t thought of that,_ Salem mused. _Can I do that? I’ve never tried that before._

“—but I have to say this. You can kill me after that, but I gotta say it.” He faced her, feeling resigned and strangely not afraid. “That sucks.”

She smiled thinly and nodded. “You’re entirely correct.”

“So why not just stop?”

Salem stared at him. “What?”

“Yeah. Why not just say ‘fuck it’ and stop?”

She laughed. Salem laughed so hard she kicked her feet in the air. “’Just stop!’ Oh, what fools you mortals be!”

“Now hold on!” Sun yelled over her laughter. “What happens if you do?”

Salem rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Ozpin finds me and kills me.”

“Except you said you can’t die!” He grabbed his tail. “I could curl this around my neck and strangle you, and nothing would happen!”

“Other than making me rather angry, no, nothing.”

“Then what’s the fucking _point?_ You can’t kill each other!” Sun got off the bed and began pacing, which he did when he was confronted with a tough problem. “So why not just stop fighting? I mean, you’re tired—I could hear that in your voice. I don’t know Professor Ozpin very well, but I bet he is, too.”

“But…I have followers, and so does he—“

“So what!” Sun yelled. “Ozpin will order us to stand down. There isn’t a student in that place that would like the idea of fighting someone who can’t be killed. I mean, yeah, some of do get a kick out of fighting Grimm, but we’ve all lost people to them. As for your followers, hell, tell them to knock that shit off! Something tells me they’ll listen.”

“You don’t understand,” she protested, but it sounded weak even to her.

“You’re right! I don’t!”

Salem stretched out her legs—which distracted Sun for a bit—and folded her arms across her breasts. _Such a young fool,_ she thought to herself. _And a brave fool as well._ She was going to have to kill him after all. But then she wondered if she wanted to kill him because he knew too much, or because he was making too much sense. All this fighting, she considered. And truly, what was it for? Then again, that was the whole point of getting the Relics. To end the stalemate, to bring back the gods, to be destroyed, and to be finally reunited with Ozma in the afterlife. Even if there was a hell, it could not be possibly worse than what she was in now. 

But now this young, stupid, fool of a Faunus boy was making her question even that. It was the idealism of youth, she told herself. He would never understand. Sun Wukong would never see.

_You thought he would never accept what you truly look like,_ a little voice said in her mind, _and yet he made love to you. And he’s staring at you now. You can feel it, can’t you, Salem? That little stirring in your loins? You would like it again. Probably so would he._ She hadn’t heard that voice in awhile—precisely 13 years, in fact, when the same voice had told her to spare Summer Rose’s life because she was saying goodbye to her children…something Salem herself wished she’d had a chance to do. 

_Shut up,_ she ordered the voice, and thought she heard laughing. The voice was annoying like the Good Brother, though it also had the taunting tone of the Evil Brother. Salem growled to herself like a Grimm, then got to her feet. 

Sun steeled himself. This was it. She was going to kill him. He hoped it wouldn’t hurt too much. He felt bad that it was going to end like this. Hell, he hadn’t even asked Blake to the dance yet. _That’s a pretty stupid last thought, Sun,_ he told himself, because Salem’s hands were coming up to his forehead, and by the look on her face, it _was_ going to hurt. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you?” she snarled.

He closed his eyes. “Just make it quick, okay?”

“Oh no, Sun Wukong. I will _not_ make it quick.” Suddenly he felt himself floating into midair. That was weird. It hadn’t hurt at all, and now he was floating away. Sun opened his eyes, expecting to see the grease stain that had been his mortal remains on the floor. Instead, Salem was grinning up at him, which was a little frightening in and of itself. He turned in place as she walked towards the wall, then walked _up_ the wall, then onto the ceiling. “Tell me,” she said, hair hanging down as she gently stopped his rotation. “Have you ever made love in midair?”

“Can’t say as I have.”

“Well, then.” She kissed him, upside-down. “We shall do this one more time, Sun. And then I will take your impudent advice to someone else.”

“Anyone I know?” he murmured through the kiss. He’d never gotten hard upside-down, either.

“I don’t believe so. But I need your mind on other things right now.” She smiled hungrily down—up?—at him. “You’ve seduced me twice now, Sun Wukong. Now it’s my turn. You may die, but I guarantee you’ll die happy.”

In the master bedroom of the once-again Xiao Long-Rose household, Summer Rose—lying in the arms of Tai after a marathon session of lovemaking—turned over in her sleep. Her eyes snapped open and she was suddenly very awake. “Salem?” she said in alarm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. Did you think Salem was done with Summer?


	15. Brand New Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang's very confused about her encounter with Blake, so she goes to Summer...who gets to give the first "Mom Talk" of her life. 
> 
> But then the next wave of Salem's magic hits...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite what that last line above may imply, there is no incest in this chapter. Or this story. Nope. 
> 
> This story also has a bit of mood whiplash, from fairly serious to fluffy to nightmare fuel to comedy.

_The House of Taiyang and Summer_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_That Same Morning_

Summer sat on the porch with a cup of coffee, enjoying the early morning air. The house was still asleep—a little later than usual, she thought, but not surprising. She and Tai had been up late, and the memory of that brought a smile to her face and an ache to her groin. As soon as they were sure the girls were safely in their bedrooms and Qrow had returned from his walk, Summer and Tai had made gentle, quiet love, taking their time, in no hurry. And sometime in the night, she had woken up to feel Tai hard against her again, and so there was nothing else to do but to wake _him_ up and do it all over again. _Twice in one night,_ she thought happily. _We haven’t done that since our honeymoon._

Now that was a nice thought. Before falling asleep again, she and Tai had talked about going on another honeymoon. Since they were essentially starting over, it wasn’t a bad idea, and if they were going to try for another baby, that would be the perfect time.

And then she had dreamed of Salem. She couldn’t remember the details, but it was enough to keep her from falling back asleep. So she had gone downstairs, where Qrow was still snoring away on the couch, fixed some coffee, and sat on the porch in her newly-bought pajamas and old white cloak. 

Summer heard someone open the door. Zwei bounded out, stopped to lick her hand, then trotted over to the nearest available tree. Yang sat down next to her, also with a cup of coffee, and sat down. She was dressed in a tank top and shorts. “Morning, Mom.”

“Good morning, Yang.” They clicked their coffee mugs together. “Sleep well?”

Yang coughed and nearly spit out her coffee. “Uh, sort of.” Once she had gotten down her first drink, she set down the mug, decorated with Beacon’s logo, and leaned forward to rest her arms on her knees. “Mom, can I talk to you about something really, really personal?”

“Of course, honey.” Summer found herself looking forward to whatever Yang had to say. It was about time she got to do a mom thing.

“It’s also really, really embarrassing.”

Summer smiled. “And you can still talk about those things with me.”

“Okay, well…” Yang took a drink for courage, almost wishing she had a shot of whatever Uncle Qrow drank in the coffee, and took the plunge. “It’s about…sex.”

Summer grabbed her chest and gasped. “Oh my gods!” Yang looked at her in alarm, and she giggled. 

“Oh, ha ha, Mom.”

Summer put an arm around her older daughter. “Sorry.” Then she had a terrible thought. “It’s not about…what happened with Raven, is it?”

Now it was Yang who giggled. “Nah. This one’s on me.” She thought about it for a second. “Well, it’s a little bit like that.”

“Well, it can’t be any more embarrassing than coming back from the dead, ending up in a threesome with your husband and his ex-wife, and being found by your children.”

“Well…” Yang took another drink, finishing her coffee. “I, um…had sex.”

Summer shrugged. That was no real surprise. Someone with Yang’s figure would be fighting the boys off with a stick, and since she had clearly inherited Raven’s wild streak, Summer would have been more surprised if Yang hadn’t had at least one sexual experience by now. “Anyone I know?”

“Yeah, and this is going to make breakfast really awkward.” Yang took a breath. “Blake. I slept with Blake.”

Summer stared at her. “Excuse me?”

“Blake, Mom. Blake Belladonna. Faunus girl, black hair, kitty ears, currently stealing all the damn covers upstairs?”

Summer took a drink herself. “Well.” _That_ was not something she had expected. By Yang’s expression, it was mutual.

“Yeah,” Yang sighed. “Never thought I’d do that. I mean, I’m not really into girls, but…maybe I am?” She looked at her bare feet. “I guess you probably disapprove.”

“What on Remnant gave you that idea? As long as it was consensual, then I don’t really have an issue with it, Yang.” Summer meant it, but it still rocked her a little. She looked at Yang and still saw the rambunctious five year old, with mud in her hair, skinned knees, and tendency to run into things. And now that little girl was a woman, in every way. It wasn't the fact that she'd slept with another woman. Growing up in Vale, going to Signal and then Beacon, she’d met a few gay people. Raven was bisexual, and bragged about it; she liked to kid Summer about seducing her, which embarrassed the other girl until she realized Raven was only yanking her chain a little. It was the fact that Summer was still coming to terms with her daughters growing up without her.

“It’s just weird, Mom. I mean…” Yang turned red. “Okay, I’m not a virgin. There was a boy at Signal—just a one-night stand. I was careful, of course—he wore a condom—and it was no great shakes. But he was it until last night.” She buried her face in her hands. “I mean, did you ever sleep with anyone besides Dad?” Yang sniffed a laugh. “Guess that’s a stupid question.”

“You mean what happened the other day?” Summer chuckled wryly. “Actually, all we did was kiss.” She dimly remembered inviting Raven to go down on her, but it hadn’t happened, even under Salem’s lust spell. “I was a virgin when I married your father.” Then she was the one who blushed. “Okay, that’s a bit of a lie. We couldn’t wait that long. But other than that kiss with Raven, if that even counts, your father is my only partner.”

“You weren’t ever tempted by…others?”

“Of course I was. I’m only human, Yang.”

“By other women?”

Summer sat back, leaning on her hands. “A few times. I would see Raven in the shower and wonder what it would be like to have sex with her. But that was me at 16 years old, Yang. When you’re a teenager, you have all kinds of weird thoughts.”

“I guess that makes sense. It’s just that, well, Blake’s my best friend, Mom. Okay, sure, I’m in the same boat. I saw Blake’s boob the other morning and got a little hot under the collar. And Weiss’ butt.”

Summer raised an eyebrow. “As long as you’re not getting turned on by your sister next…”

Yang stuck out her tongue. “Bleah. Yuck. It’s just really strange, Mom! I like guys—I’ll admit I’ve watched, you know, certain things on the internet I really shouldn’t watch and you wouldn’t approve of with hot, hunky guys, and okay, I’m going to shut up now!” The last came out in a rush. “But why did I screw Blake?” Yang ruffled her own hair in frustration. “Though I guess, technically, she screwed _me._ She made the first move.”

This time both eyebrows raised. “Blake is a lesbian?”

“No! Maybe! I don’t know!” Yang’s head thumped onto her knees. “She says she isn’t, but—“ Yang stopped herself. There was no way in hell she was giving her mother details. “Maybe I’m making too much of this.”

“Possibly. And possibly not.” Summer reached out and gathered Yang into a hug. “Sex is a funny thing, Yang. Between two people who love each other, it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. Your dad and Raven loved each other, and here you are. Your dad and me love each other, and Ruby came along. And though I don’t know any same-sex couples personally—Raven’s bi, by the way—“ They shared a laugh at Summer’s inadvertent pun “—I’m sure that it’s quite wonderful when they love each other too.”

“But I don’t love Blake. Not like that.”

“No. And you have to make up your own mind about that, Yang. Two frustrated young women, unsure of themselves, and they end up in bed together. I’m sure it’s happened to many people, honey. Heck, maybe that’s what happened to me the other day; Salem just gave us a nudge. But I do know one thing: don’t hate yourself for it. And don’t let it ruin your friendship with Blake. Sex _can_ do that. I’ve seen that happen to friends, but it’s always been when they weren’t honest with each other.” She kissed Yang’s hair. “I’m not saying you should just screw anyone who wanders across your path, Yang. You need to be careful who you give that very important piece of yourself to—not just because you could get a disease—“

“Ew,” Yang commented.

“—but because you could get very hurt, physically and emotionally, by giving that piece of yourself to the wrong person.” She let go of Yang. “Blake’s a good person, Yang. I think if you two talk it over, now that you’ve had some time to sleep on it, you’ll probably come to one of two choices.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“That it happened in the heat of the moment, but you just want to be friends now. Or…you can explore the relationship, and see if you want to become lovers. The latter is a _very_ big step in a relationship, Yang. It took your father _months_ before he could even kiss me after Raven left, and I started helping with you. It was over a year before we made love for the first time. And yes, Ruby got started after we were married. I made sure of that.” She kissed Yang on the forehead this time. “Either way, I will always love you, and so will your father, your uncle, and Ruby. And I'm sure Raven too, in her own weird way.” Zwei padded over and sat down between them. Summer skritched behind his ears. “And Zwei! Let’s not forget him.”

Yang petted Zwei as well. She was silent for a long time. Then she smiled at Summer. It was like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day. “Thanks, Mom. That made a lot of sense.”

Summer laughed and threw her arms in the air. “Yes!” she exulted. “I did a mom talk!” She folded her arms over her chest triumphantly. “Nailed it.”

Yang burst out laughing. She hugged her mom, then suddenly stiffened. She abruptly pulled back from Summer, looked down at her hands. They were shaking. “Mom,” she said, her voice breaking, “I don’t feel so good.”

“Yang?” Summer’s heart leapt into her throat. Yang’s pupils suddenly dilated, and she rose to unsteady feet. Zwei whined and scooted away. She started walking towards the door. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Mom.” Her voice was oddly flat.

Summer leapt to her feet, and then nearly fell. For a moment, she felt unsteady herself, her mind whirling, and without warning, everything turned white. She put her hands over her eyes as she felt her silver eyes flaring. Luckily, it just lasted a second. She shook her head and opened her eyes. Yang was through the front door, walking like a zombie, and she pulled off her tank top. She’d put on a sports bra beneath it, but her hands came up to pull that off too. “Blake,” she moaned. “Weiss.” She staggered towards the stairs. “Gotta bang ‘em. Gotta bang ‘em _all._ ”

Summer was there in a red blur, putting her hands out to stop her daughter. “Yang! Yang, what is it?” She saw Qrow was on his feet, his Scroll in his hands, reading something. “Qrow! Help me! There’s something wrong with her!” She grabbed Yang’s hands, which were trying to peel down her shorts. 

“Aaah!” Summer looked upstairs in alarm. That was Ruby’s voice. “Weiss, get off of me! What’s wrong with you?”

“I got Yang!” Qrow yelled. “Go!” Summer needed no more incentive, and she did not so much move as she red-shifted up the stairs. Freed from Summer, Yang continued to stare into space, and pulled off her shorts, mumbling something about Blake and Weiss. Qrow dropped his Scroll, dashed to the kitchen, filled a glass with cold water, then ran after Yang as she began pulling off her underwear. “Yang!” He turned her around and threw the cold water in her face.

Yang blinked, ran a hand over her face, and blinked again. “Uncle Qrow? What the hell?” Then she realized her panties were halfway down her thighs. Qrow had already looked away, but Yang screamed and yanked them back up. “What the heck is going on?”

“Explain later! Grab a glass of cold water and follow me!” Qrow shouted and headed up the stairs. 

Summer kicked open the door to Ruby’s room with enough force to knock it off its hinges. Weiss was atop Ruby, kissing her, licking her cheek, while clumsily trying to pull off her nightdress. Ruby was no longer protesting, but was returning the kiss intently, and was trying to peel off her own top; her eyes had gone blank as well. Summer had the briefest idea of what had gone through her daughters’ mind when they’d seen the threesome, but then she was hauling Weiss off by main force. Ruby reached up helplessly, and whined as her soon-to-be lover was taken away. Summer realized that Weiss was not in her right mind, but with no idea of what else to do, slapped her across the face. 

Weiss rocked with the slap, and came back up. For a wild moment, Summer thought the Schnee heiress was going to kiss _her,_ but the ice-blue eyes cleared. “Miss Rose?” Weiss said. “What happened?”

“Weiss…I want you, Weiss,” Ruby moaned, but had gotten tangled up in the sheets and couldn’t get her clothes off. Summer hesitated. Qrow peeked in and headed for the bathroom, while Taiyang, roughly awakened, tried to shake off sleep. He was shoved out of the way by Yang, who didn’t have a glass of water: she had a bucket of ice water. She threw all of it on Ruby, soaking her sister and her bed. “ _Aagggh!”_ Ruby screamed. “ _What the fuck, Yang! Why in the fucking hell did you fucking throw fucking cold fucking water all the fuck over me? You crazy fucking bitch!”_ Then she saw her mother staring at her, and clapped both hands over her mouth. 

“If no one’s busy,” Tai said in a deadpan, “I could use some help.”

They all turned and Yang dropped the bucket in slack-jawed shock. Blake was kissing Tai’s chest, or slobbering over it, while she tucked one leg over his thigh and was pulling on the belt of her yukata. “I never knew your dad was so _hot,_ Yang,” she breathed. 

Summer’s eyes widened, her face turned red with rage, and Tai put out a hand: she only got that expression when she was about to obliterate something. Luckily, before Blake could get her clothes off, Tai could pry her off, or Summer could annihilate the Faunus, Qrow was there with more cold water, which he poured over her head. Blake gave out a very catlike yowl and leapt backwards. She stood there dripping for a moment, realized what had happened, and yanked the yukata shut. “Oh gods, not again!”

Yang rubbed her face. “Yeah, what she said. What the hell is going on?”

“Qrow?” Summer asked. “You knew what to do. Your Scroll—“

“Yeah, it was Oz. Some kind of weird magic is spiking across Remnant. It hit Beacon last night, and they had a lot of students climbing all over each other. Seems it’s some kind of…er…” Qrow shrugged; he wasn’t one to get embarrassed. “…wild sex magic. Only seems to affect younger people who are sexually frustrated. They immediately seek out the person they like the most and try to have sex with them. Failing that, whoever’s in front of them. Physical stimuli brings them out of it immediately.”

Ruby, still soaked to the bone, looked at Weiss. “Oh, shit.”

Weiss looked back at Ruby and her expression became nauseous. “Oh, gods.”

Blake looked from Tai to Yang. “Oh, no.”

Yang looked at Blake. “Oh, hell.”

Qrow nodded. “Just about sums it up.” He went to go grab some towels.

Summer went over to Tai’s side and put an arm around him. She wasn’t sure why she felt so possessive all of a sudden—he wasn’t attracted to Blake, and Blake had not been in her right mind either, but she was staking a claim to her husband nonetheless. “I wonder why we weren’t affected,” she wondered aloud. 

“We’re not sexually frustrated,” Tai answered. Both of them looked at Qrow, who came out of the bathroom and threw towels to the girls—two to Ruby. “What?”

“Feeling okay, Qrow?”

Qrow gave them his trademark half-assed grin. “Hey, I got lots of girlfriends.”

“Right.” Summer now felt bad, and helped Blake dry herself off. Her ribbon was gone, and her ears wilted down to her hair. “Miss Rose, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me—“

“Not your fault.” She turned and quickly winked at Tai, weirdly proud of him. Girls were _still_ attracted to him. 

“But what’s causing it?” Ruby asked, drying her face while Yang helped dry off the rest of her. 

“Salem,” Summer said. “She’s making her move. It has to be her.”

Qrow put his hands up. “Now hold on, Short Stack. It could be anything. It could be—“ He was interrupted as the sunlight streaming through the windows began to dim. Thunder rolled in the distance, and they heard Zwei begin to bark frantically. The shadows outside began to purple. “—okay, yeah, it’s totally Salem.”

“She’s _that_ powerful?” Weiss shrilled.

“She is,” Summer said, her insides turning to ice. “And she’s also here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned into "RWBY: Infinity War" without me knowing about it.


	16. Sympathy for the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salem has come to Summer to talk. The question is, will she get a chance to...and what possibly can she say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoof. This took some time to write, so I'm glad I started a bit earlier on it. But it turned out all right, I think.
> 
> Warning: this is a feels chapter again. Not a lot of humor and no sexy time in it.

_The House of Taiyang and Summer_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_Five Minutes Later_

Summer Rose was not easily frightened. She’d walked across the closest physical equivalent to hell on Remnant to confront Salem before, and she hadn’t really been scared then, either. Even when facing death, Summer hadn’t been scared, just sad. A slavering horde of Grimm barely merited a raised brow.

But now she was scared. Not for herself, but for her husband, brother, and children.

They ran out onto the front lawn, everyone but Taiyang, who didn’t need a weapon, and Summer, who still hadn’t made a new one, armed. Team RWBY took the lead, fanning out, partners with partners: Ruby with Weiss, Yang with Blake. Qrow split to the right, able to flank, while Summer and Tai took up a position immediately in front of the house. 

The forest had gone completely quiet. Animals were running out of the woods, completely ignoring the humans, as the world around them got darker. The clouds above were angry and purple, shot through by red lightning, rumbling with thunder. 

“We have one chance at this,” Summer said, taking command as she once had Team STRQ. “We have to press her hard, not let her get a spell off. We hit her with everything we have. Understand? Don’t hold anything back, because she won’t!”

Tai hugged his wife close. “She can’t be killed, Summer,” he whispered in her ear.

“No. But we can delay her. If we knock her down hard enough, maybe we can immobilize her or force her to regenerate. If we do that, we get out of here, get to Beacon.”

“I’m not losing you again,” he said with grim determination.

“I’m not losing any of you again,” Summer growled. 

The wind picked up, then suddenly died. And she was there, standing at the edge of the woods: Salem the Witch; Salem, the Undead Queen of the Grimm. Her black cloak was familiar to Summer, and like the last time she had seen her, her hair was down. She did not so much walk onto the lawn as she drifted onto it. Then she stopped, hands clasped at rest over her abdomen. “Hello, Summer. You’re looking well.” She nodded to Tai. “And this must be your husband. I’m glad you enjoyed my little…gift.”

Qrow glanced back to Summer. “What’s she talking about?”

Salem waved it away. “Nothing of consequence, Qrow Branwen.” She then surveyed the four young women, weapons raised. “And this must be Team RWBY. Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, your daughters. Blake Belladonna, daughter of Ghira and Kali. Weiss Schnee, heiress to Jacques and Willow.” She looked over their weapons and gave a nod of approval. “Impressive. You’d be more impressive if you were not standing there in your sleepwear, but still impressive.”

“Fuck off, bitch!” Yang yelled. It wasn’t a great battle cry, but it was all she could think of. She wasn’t feeling fear so much as surprise. This pale-faced weirdo was the one that had taken her mother away for 13 years? Yang wasn’t terribly impressed. She expected some force of nature. Other than the trick with the darkness, Salem wasn’t all that; she wasn’t even that tall, really. 

Salem shook her head slowly and raised her hands. “Before you charge me and I have to do something I really don’t want to do, I’m here to—“

“ _Now, Team RWBY!”_ Ruby shouted. She ran right at Salem, raising Crescent Rose, leaving a blur of rose petals behind her. Yang’s hair flared into flame, and she fired Ember Celica behind her, almost keeping up with her sister. Weiss reversed Myrtenaster and rammed it into the ground, and ice shot forward along the ground to trap Salem’s feet—or where she guessed Salem’s feet to be. Blake threw Gambol Shroud, the blade embedding itself in a tree, and she ran forward to throw the rope around the witch, trapping her shoulders and hands. It was a well-coordinated attack, excellent for novice Huntresses: Salem would be unable to move, leaving her open to being pummeled in the face by Yang and decapitated by Ruby, who was going for the head.

It would’ve been devastating, had it not been for the fact that they were attacking someone who was thousands of years old.

She sighed, looked at Team RWBY, and spoke a single word: “Sleep.” Instantly, all four girls dropped to the lawn, unconscious, weapons dropping from their hands. Ruby slid to a halt in front of Salem, and Summer screamed in horror. “Now then—“ Salem began.

Summer’s screams rose to a savage cry, and her silver eyes sent a wave of pure white light at the forest. Tai and Qrow put their arms up to protect their eyes, and when it had faded, there was nothing but steam coming from the partially melted ice. Team RWBY still lay motionless on the lawn, but Salem was gone. Qrow blinked away the spots in his vision. “Damn,” he breathed. “I forgot how impressive that is.”

“No time,” Tai said. Summer was down on her knees, shaking her head, breathing hard with exertion; it still took a lot out of her. “Let’s get the girls and get the hell out of here before she reforms.” He headed for Ruby and Yang. Qrow ran over to Weiss and Blake. 

“Bit late for that.” All three of them whirled. Salem was standing atop the house, arms folded. 

“Dammit,” Summer puffed. “It was an illusion. She was behind us the whole time.”

The witch shrugged. “I’m immortal, not stupid. I had a feeling that was going to happen.”

Qrow extended Harbinger into its scythe. “Take them, Tai. Take Summer and the girls. I’ll cover you as long as I can.”

Salem regarded the skies in exasperation. “Oh, for—I’m here to talk! Not fight! Will you let me finish a sentence?”

Tai pointed at her. “Maybe if you’d said that at the beginning instead of monologuing, we wouldn’t have attacked!”

Salem rolled her eyes. “It comes naturally when you’re an evil witch.” She leapt off the roof and glided to the ground, landing lightly on her feet. “The children are fine. They’re just asleep. In fact, when they wake up, they’re going to be quite refreshed.”

Summer got to her feet. “And you’ll probably leave them with the same lust spell that you put on me, you pervert! Was that your plan, Salem? Cripple Remnant with these waves of lust and then attack?”

Salem looked confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Qrow pointed Harbinger at her, though he didn’t move towards the witch. “For the last 12 hours, there’s been waves of uncontrollable lust hitting Remnant. The victims are usually young men and women who are…” he paused, a little embarrassed despite himself “…sexually frustrated. Just so happens that’s most of Remnant’s Huntsmen and Huntresses.” He waved his hand at Team RWBY. “It hit them hard.”

“You’re kidding,” Salem said. “When did these waves hit?”

Summer was taken aback: it sounded like Salem genuinely didn’t know about them. “Last night, around midnight, and again this morning, around nine. Less than twenty minutes ago.”

“Oh.” Salem closed her eyes. “Oh, hell.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “All right, look…you won’t believe me, but while I _am_ responsible for those waves of magic, they were…inadvertent.” 

“You’re right,” Qrow replied. “We _don’t_ believe you.”

Salem put her hands on her hips. “Look. I came here to talk to Summer Rose. That’s all. If I wanted you dead, I certainly wouldn’t be stupid enough to give you any warning. And I would’ve killed Team RWBY, not just used a mass sleep spell on them.”

“She has a point,” Tai said. “She acted only defensively.”

Salem looked at Summer, who let out a long sigh. “Fine. We’ll talk.” She waved Salem into the house. “Come on. Let me get my daughters and their friends into their beds, so they’re not lying out there in the grass.” The witch nodded and followed Summer into the house. She took a seat at the kitchen table and waited patiently as Tai and Qrow carried in the girls and put them in the beds upstairs. Summer helped, and came back downstairs first. Salem was trying to pet Zwei, but he shrank away from her and growled. “This is a very nice house,” she observed.

“Thank you,” Summer replied, with no friendliness whatsoever. “Do you even eat or drink? The old ways say I should offer even _you_ hospitality.”

“If you have any more of that coffee I’m smelling,” Salem said, “I would kill for a cup.” She smiled. “Figuratively speaking.”

Summer poured her a cup, which felt surreal: she was getting coffee for the greatest threat in the history of Remnant. The Queen of the Grimm sat at _her_ dinner table, Summer and Tai’s, her hands folded in front of her, bare feet on the legs of the stool. Summer set the coffee in front of her and poured herself a cup as Tai and Qrow returned. “Tai, Qrow, coffee?”

“Sure.”

Qrow held up his flask. “I think I’m gonna need this.”

Summer thought she might as well, but she took a seat, just out of arm’s length of the witch, as did Tai, boxing Salem in. The witch seemed not to notice. She sipped the coffee and nodded in satisfaction. “So,” Summer stated.

Salem took another sip and set down the coffee on its saucer. “The waves were inadvertent, as I said. I was…” she smiled. “On vacation.” Qrow couldn’t hold back a snort, and Salem’s smile got bigger. “Even evil witches need days off, Qrow Branwen.”

Summer stared at her. “You said you were tired when you sent me forward in time. You waited all this time?”

Salem nodded. “I had to have an opportunity. Your arrival in the future—now—would cause chaos. While that idiot Ozpin ran around wondering why you’re still alive, I would have at least a week to disguise myself, go to Vacuo, and forget about the whole stupid affair for awhile.”

“Ozpin doesn’t know about Summer,” Qrow blurted.

“Oh well. I still managed to get almost three days, which is better than nothing.” Salem’s finger traced along the side of the coffee cup. “And I met someone. And we…hooked up? I believe that’s the term the young ones are using this decade.”

Three jaws dropped in unison. Tai was the first to recover. “You mean to tell me…you…had _sex?”_

Salem laughed. “Even someone like me needs to relieve the pressure every now and then, Taiyang Xiao Long.” She leaned forward on her elbows. “Unfortunately, it seems my innate connection to Remnant, as a result of the curse of immortality given to me by the Brother Gods, had some unforeseen effects. Whenever I had, ah, relations, it apparently caused ripples of magic.”

“And because _you_ were young once, and sexually frustrated, it tended to resonate with other young people in the same position,” Summer said.

“That would be logical,” Salem replied. She chuckled. “Let’s hope these young Huntsmen and Huntresses used protection, or I just caused a baby boom.” She glanced upstairs. “I suppose it struck your daughters and their team. My apologies. I hope nothing _too_ disgusting happened.” She took a drink of coffee. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

“We’re listening,” Summer told her.

Salem took a deep breath, even though she really didn’t have to; it was more reflex than anything else. “The male I…hooked up with…made me think. About how… _senseless_ this all is. I assume Ozpin told you our little secrets.”

“He did,” Qrow answered. “All of us.”

“Good. That makes things easier to explain.” Salem stood and began pacing. “It makes no sense anymore. We’re locked in this eternal war, and for what? He can’t kill me. I can’t kill him.”

“Refresh my memory,” Tai interjected. “Why exactly are you at war?”

“I thought Ozpin told you,” Salem snapped. 

“It’s been awhile, and it’s been a rather hectic few days around here.”

“Oh, I’ll bet.” Salem gave him a knowing smile. Summer was staring now at Tai. He was lying. He _did_ already know the story, all of it: the Lady in the Tower, Ozma’s rescue, the curse. Ozpin had told all of Team STRQ. It was not likely to have slipped his mind.

So Salem told the story—from her perspective, and Summer suddenly knew what Tai was up to. He was hearing a different side of it, just like he would if Ruby and Yang were fighting; he would ask each girl individually what had happened. Salem told the story quickly, and when she had finished the part where the Brothers had cursed her with immortality, he put up a hand. Salem was stunned at the mortal’s effrontery, and she actually stopped. “So let me get this straight. You launched a war on the Brother Gods in an effort to _force_ them to return Ozma to you. That’s why you were so angry, right? They wouldn’t allow you to be with the one you loved more than anything.”

Salem nodded, eyes blazing. “Yes! Exactly! The self-righteous hypocritical bastards! They took Ozma away from me!”

“No,” Tai said, “an _accident_ took Ozma away from you.”

Summer swallowed. Tai was truly bearding the demon in its lair. “An accident they could’ve prevented,” Salem hissed. 

“Okay. That’s fair,” Tai replied, to forestall her wrath. It wouldn’t do any good to truly anger the witch. “So they took Ozma away, and wouldn’t let him come back, and that’s why all of this started.”

“Yes,” Salem said with contempt. “That’s correct—“

Tai sprung the trap. He had been planning it, knew he was taking a chance, and if he was wrong, Salem was going to kill everyone in the house. “Just like you took Summer away from me.”

Salem stopped. Her fists slowly clenched. Thunder boomed, Zwei ran, Qrow stepped back, Summer slid off her stool, and even in their sleep, Team RWBY stirred in a nightmare. Tai, however, just stared at the immortal queen, unflinching. And he didn’t let up. “You’re no better than the Brothers, Salem. You’ve _become_ what you hate.”

“Oh, shit,” Qrow said. 

Salem raised her hands, her fingernails turning black and extending into claws, her hair beginning to roil, her teeth bared. “You…you…miserable… _pathetic…”_

Summer used her Semblance and threw herself in front of Tai, readying one last unleashing of everything she had in her silver eyes, knowing that this time, Salem was ready for it and the best she could hope for was mutually assured destruction. But she was not going to watch her husband die. She would die with him, and at least they would still be together.

Salem saw the look on Summer’s face and froze in shock. Not because she was afraid, but because she’d seen that look herself—on her _own_ face, reflected in the black pools, in the pure water, when she’d begged the Brothers for Ozma’s life, even if it meant her own death. And slowly, her arms came down, the claws retracted, and her hair fell, almost in surrender, back to its gray waves over her shoulders. “You are…right,” she said softly. “How very strange. You’re right.” 

Tai gently moved Summer out of the way, but kept a hand around her waist. “When I thought Summer was dead,” Tai spoke, “it devastated me, Salem. It destroyed me. When Raven left me with a newborn, I didn’t think life could get any worse, but when you took Summer away from me, it did. I had to raise two daughters, almost alone. Qrow helped, but there was only so much he could do. And the worst part of all was not knowing if she was actually dead. And just like you, there was no enemy I could fight. Not one I could win against. Just like you.”

Salem actually could not meet his eyes. She was staring at the floor. “Then…what did you do?”

“I picked myself up. I knew that I had to keep going for my kids. Summer would want that. So I decided I was going to be the best damn dad in the world, and I was.”

“You had that advantage,” Salem said bitterly. “I didn’t. My children died.”

“No one’s saying you didn’t get a shitty deal, Salem,” Tai told her. “You did. Ozma died of a damn disease. You didn't deserve that. Neither did he. It sucks. It sucks hard. But you think you’re the only one who had someone they loved taken away from them?” He pointed to himself. “Take a look right here. _I_ didn't deserve what you did to me. And you know what I _didn’t_ do when I thought Summer was dead?” He shrugged. “I didn’t go on a revenge spree. I didn’t raise an army to come after you. Oh, I wanted to. I wanted to find you and beat you to fucking _death_ with my bare hands. And then I wanted you to come back so I could do it again. And to be perfectly honest, with you standing here in front of me, finally—“ He raised his hands. “I _still_ want to beat you to death.”

She smiled at that. “Something we can agree on.”

“But I didn’t, Salem. I stayed here. I raised my daughters. I moved on. And now Summer’s back here, and we have a chance to start over.” He reached up and messed with her hair, and Summer involuntarily smiled. “And I thank you for that, Salem. Even if you did it out of cruelty, because now she’s got to somehow make up for 13 years of not being there for me or our daughters, I still thank you for it. Because we have a second chance.”

“Yes, you have a second chance,” Salem snarled. “How happy for you.”

“So do you,” Summer said. She'd seen where Tai was going with this.

For the second time in five minutes, Salem was rendered speechless. “What?” she finally said.

“So do you,” Summer repeated. “Ozpin is still here. Why not go back to him?” She smiled as well, and winked at the witch. “Come on. Woman to woman. Whoever that man—or woman, perhaps—that you hooked up with at Vacuo showed you a good time, didn’t they? They made you live again.” She nodded. “Those waves of magic were because you lost control of yourself. And you loved it.” Summer leaned over and kissed Tai’s head. “Because when my man here makes _me_ lose control—cover your ears, Qrow, this is gross—and I’m screaming because he’s making me come so hard that I can’t even think straight—“

Qrow took a drink. “You’re right; that _is_ gross.”

“—well, there’s few other things that can make you feel more alive. And that's why you're here, because you don't know what to do next, and I'm the only person you ever talked to about it."

Salem said nothing in response. She sat down in the chair instead, regarded the coffee, and took a big drink herself. “I don’t know if I can go back to him. Too much has passed between us. And there are…other reasons. Ones which I cannot tell you—I _will_ not tell you.”

“That’s fine,” Tai said. “But why not try? At least you’d get off the merry-go-round of fighting each other.”

“How odd,” Salem smiled. “That _was_ what I came to talk to you about.” She reached over, hesitated, and placed her hand on Summer’s. It was cool, not quite cold, but not quite warm. “I thought…you might understand. And you did.” She rolled her eyes. “Not quite in the fashion I’d expected, but you did understand. And you, Taiyang Xiao Long…” She saluted him with a nod. “I can see why she loves you so. You are a man of rare courage.”

Summer, despite wondering just what she was doing, put her other hand on top of Salem’s, who started at the warm contact. “Then you’ll talk to Ozpin?”

Salem withdrew her hands. “I…let me think on it.” She instead finished the coffee. “You may refuse this request, or assume my intentions to be less than pure, but…may I see your daughters?” Salem put up her hands. “I will not harm them in any way.”

“Sure.” Summer took Tai’s hand, trembling a little, and led Salem up the stairs. Qrow fell in behind, Harbinger in hand; Salem knew he was there, of course, but accepted his prescence. 

Ruby and Yang, more out of convenience than anything else, were placed in the same bed. They were calm again, and Ruby, in her sleep, had thrown an arm around Yang’s waist. Summer fought down a sob at that; Ruby had done the exact same thing as a toddler when she and Yang took naps together. Salem looked at them from the hallway. Her hands came up as if in prayer, and they all turned in surprise when she _did_ sob, and buried her face in her hands. “They’re beautiful…what…what have I _done?_ What have _we_ done?” And in something that no one could have ever predicted, Summer put an arm around her shoulders, while the Undead Queen of the Grimm cried. After awhile, Salem stopped crying and rubbed a hand over her red eyes. She seemed diminished, somehow, not as tall or as threatening, but more the brokenhearted woman she once had been. “I will talk to him,” she said at last. “For our children. I will talk to him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Salem finally regretting? I think so. I wonder if this is how RWBY is going to end, with Salem realizing that everything she's done has really been for nothing.
> 
> Next up: Salem meets Ozpin. Yeah...this one might take a night or two to write as well.


	17. I Want To Break Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ozpin is dealing with the fallout of the magic waves hitting Remnant. Then he gets a phone call from someone he thought was dead, and someone he wished was. Ozpin and Salem will meet...and talk.
> 
> Hoo boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting to wind down this Suddenly Serious Story. This really took twists and turns I never thought it was going to; I honestly planned on writing something very silly. But sometimes you just go to where the story takes you, and you're glad if it turns out okay. 
> 
> When I posted this story, I originally had the throwaway tagline "How Summer Came Back, Had Sex, and Saved Remnant," and...well, that's actually what happened.

_Headmaster’s Office, Beacon Academy_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_The Same Morning_

Ozpin tapped away at the computer, compiling a report for the Vale Council regarding the strange occurrences of the past 24 hours. No one appeared to be hurt, other than assorted contusions of people fighting off sudden paramours. Haven reported isolated incidents; Atlas had a few more, including General Ironwood reporting that he had to fight off a suddenly amorous Winter Schnee. Vacuo reported dozens, leading Ozpin to believe his initial assessment as being correct: the “magic waves” centered in Vacuo. He’d noticed another rise in pressure, but the school was on alert now. There should be no further incidents. Of course, there was the little issue of how they were going to go after Salem, should she indeed be on vacation in Vacuo. Ozpin was of a mind to simply leave her alone, unless she made a move for the Relic there. Sooner or later, Salem would get bored and go home. Or she would start trying to take over the place.

The elevator door opened, admitting Velvet Scarlatina. She was wearing her school uniform, but as she walked across his office floor, she began losing that school uniform. Her skirt hit the floor, followed by her jacket and shirt. “Headmaster Ozpin,” she said breathily, “I’ve been bad, and I must be punished.”

Ozpin did not even look up from his computer. “In that case, Miss Scarlatina, come over here and sit on my lap.”

Velvet squealed in happiness and hopped over behind his desk, somehow ending up in her underwear in the process. As she reached out to embrace him, Ozpin nonchalantly picked up the glass of cold water on his desk and threw it in her face. Velvet screamed, jumped backwards, and looked down at herself. Her underwear had become see-through, and she tried to cover herself. “What happened? Professor Ozpin?”

“I’m not looking,” he said, still typing. “Go get yourself cleaned up, Miss Scarlatina.”

“I can’t believe this happened to me again…” She quickly put her clothes back on and retreated back to the elevator.

Ozpin got up, walked to his sideboard, refilled the cup of cold water, and returned to his desk. The elevator dinged again, but this time it was Glynda Goodwitch. She had not shown any ill effects. “Good morning, Professor. I just passed a somewhat wet and very embarrassed Faunus downstairs.”

“Mm.” He almost drank the water, but switched to his coffee just in time. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. Dove Bronzewing tried to molest me on the way in to work, but a dunk in the fountain took care of that. He and Velvet are the only ones so far.”

Nora and Ren waited patiently on Nora’s bed. She faced Pyrrha, he faced Jaune. They felt the thrill of the lust wave run through them, but Ren’s hand was on hers, and his Semblance calmed them both. It was easier in any case: neither felt particularly frustrated, especially not after sharing a shower and a lot more that morning. Both had glasses of cold water nearby.

Jaune threw back his covers. “Pyrrha!” he exclaimed. “I have to—“ Ren threw water on him.

Pyrrha was only a few seconds behind. “Jaune, you must take me! I am yours! Hump me!” She began tearing off her pajamas. Nora was tempted to let this go on a few more seconds just for grins, but sighed. She couldn’t do that to her friend. She threw the water in her face. 

“Whew,” Jaune said, covering his groin, since he’d woken up very hard. “Thanks, Ren!”

“Yes,” Pyrrha said, though there was more of a tone of sadness in her voice. “Thanks, Nora.”

“In any case,” Ozpin said, “the students have been informed and are well prepared.” He checked his computer. “And the atmospheric pressure is already lessening, so it should be past.”

“Which still leaves us with the problem of Salem on the loose.” Goodwitch shook her head. “We are not ready for her, Ozpin.”

“I know. But I think I have—“ His Scroll rang. “Oh dear. I hope that’s not the Vale police again.” He picked it up. “Ruby Rose? That’s strange. She’s at her parents.” Ozpin had given out his personal Scroll number to his team leaders, just in case. He opened the Scroll, expecting to see the face of the young silver-eyed girl.

The person on the other end was young-ish, definitely a girl, and silver-eyed. She was also wearing a white cloak, and the hairstyle was different. “Hi, Oz.”

Ozpin nearly fell. Somehow he held onto the Scroll, steadied himself, and sat down. “Ruby Rose,” he said, pale, “that is not funny whatsoever.”

“It’s not Ruby, Oz.” The woman held up the phone, and Ruby, in the background, waved. “It’s Summer.”

He felt his heart begin to race, and the world felt like it was unsteady beneath his feet. Goodwitch came over to help, saw who it was on the Scroll, and had to grab the back of his chair for support. “It…can’t be,” he whispered. “Summer Rose is dead.”

“I’ve been getting that a lot,” Summer replied. “But I am very much alive, Professor!” She waved the phone around, revealing Taiyang, Qrow and Team RWBY. “Sorry about the surprise. I was going to try to break it to you gently, but, well…things…sort of happened.”

_The magic waves?_ Goodwitch mouthed, but Ozpin held up a hand. “Summer, did you…no, you couldn’t have risen from your grave.”

“Because it’s empty? No, Professor, I was never dead to begin with.” She looked offscreen for a second. “It was Salem. She captured me, and sent me forward 13 years in time. Her idea of a joke.”

Ozpin nodded. That very much sounded like her. “When?”

“A little over a week ago. I ended up being found by Raven Branwen, and she brought me home. So, well…surprise!”

Ozpin was worried the grin he was wearing might cause permanent damage to his facial muscles. Then he faltered. This could still be a trick. “Summer, tell me…what was I wearing at the school Halloween party the year you graduated from Beacon?”

“You were dressed as Jacques Schnee, complete with clip-on tie. That was also the night Professor Oobleck shotgunned eight espresso shots and a fifth of whiskey, and claimed he’d broken the time barrier and visited a place called Equestria.”

“It’s her,” he told Goodwitch. That was a night none of the school that year would forget. “Well, Summer, I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see you again. You really should have called earlier, but…I suppose you’ve been busy with other things. How is Team RWBY?”

“They’re all right now. We got hit with that wave as well, but nothing permanent was broken.” Summer looked away from the Scroll. “But if me coming back was a surprise, then you’re going to love this. Are you sitting down?”

“Yes.” Ozpin recognized that look. It was the one Summer wore when she, or more likely her team, almost certainly Raven, had done something wrong. 

“Oookay…” The Scroll jerked and went unsteady, as Summer was obviously walking, but then it came up, focused, and suddenly Ozpin was staring at Salem herself. “Hello, Ozpin.”

Ozpin shot out of his chair and leapt backwards, much like Velvet had, knocking Goodwitch over. “What…what in the _hell…_ ”

“Ozpin? Hello?” He had moved beyond the range of the Scroll. “Summer, excuse me, but I can’t see him, I think he—“ Ozpin walked back over and stared into the face of the woman he had, in a past life, once hated and loved. “Oh, there you are. Technology.” She shrugged. 

“What have you _done_ to them?” Ozpin demanded. “You’ve enslaved them—“

“I’ve done no such thing,” Salem cut him off. “I’ve done nothing. I _have_ had a rather interesting vacation, and an even more interesting…talk…with Summer, Taiyang, and Qrow. And…as strange as this may seem…I want to talk, Ozpin. To you.”

“I’m sure! And if I don’t walk into your trap, you’ll kill them!”

“No,” Salem said, and to his surprise, he saw something very strange in those red eyes. He also noticed that her hair was down again, which was unusual. “If you refuse, I’ll simply depart back to my realm. And our war will continue. But if you meet with me, Ozpin, then perhaps our war can end.”

“This is impossible,” he said. “This isn’t happening.”

“I’m as surprised as you,” she replied. “When I woke up this morning, this was not what I anticipated either. But it is what I want.” She stared up at him and dropped her voice. “You name the place, Ozpin. I would suggest here at Patch, because there is no Relic here. If I came to Beacon, you would think I was tricking you for a shot at the Relic. My realm would be quite impossible. But anywhere—Menagerie, a ship on the sea, this lovely hotel I’ve enjoyed myself at in Vacuo—“

“Then you _are_ responsible for the magic waves,” Ozpin interrupted.

She looked away. “Yes. And you know why.” Then her red eyes focused on him again. “Oh, like you’ve been celibate.”

Ozpin knew this was not the time or the place for that conversation. “Patch will be fine. What assurances do I have that you will keep your word?”

“I’ve given no word to keep,” Salem pointed out. “But I’m vastly outnumbered here, and two of the people here have silver eyes. It can’t kill me, but it will hurt a lot. Bring Goodwitch if you want. Bring the whole student body.” She closed her eyes, took a breath. “I am offering peace, of a sort, Ozpin. If you want it, I will be here.” The phone went jerky again, and Ozpin could hear Salem asking how the Scroll was supposed to shut off. It finally did.

Goodwitch was back on her feet. “This…that must be some sort of illusion!”

“No,” Ozpin said. “It’s real. Salem…Salem wants peace.”

“It’s a trap,” Goodwitch warned.

“If it is, I’m stepping into it. I have to try.” Ozpin picked up his cane from his desk, refreshed his coffee, and walked to the center of his office. “You’re in command. If I don’t return, Beacon is yours.”

“If you don’t return, may the gods help us.” But she shielded her eyes as Ozpin disappeared in a crack of displaced air.

There was just the briefest second of feeling like being wrenched apart, then Ozpin was standing on the front lawn of Taiyang Xiao Long’s house. He’d been there before, long ago, for Summer Rose’s funeral. 

And he could not stop the tears in his eyes of seeing Summer Rose running towards him. She hugged him fiercely. “Professor Oz!”

“Summer. My gods.” He did not mind hugging her back. “You’re alive.”

“And kicking!” She let go of him. “Great to see you again, it really is. We’ll have to talk after…all of this.”

“Yes, of course.” _If we’re still alive,_ he added mentally. He saw Taiyang and Qrow, and waved to them, but his eyes went immediately to the slim figure draped in black. “I suppose there’s no putting this off.”

“No,” Summer said sadly. “But I think she’s sincere, Professor. Something’s changed about her. Even in the brief time we fought and she held me prisoner, something’s…different.”

“We’ll see.” Ozpin did not want to say that Salem had feigned being sincere about peace in the past, only to murder him the moment he let his guard down. One of his reincarnations had died that way. He walked towards her, holding his cane. She would not be fooled if he played up his limp. 

As he approached her, he saw Ruby spread out a large red blanket. Once she had smoothed it down, Weiss Schnee arrived with a tray with two cups and a pot of coffee. She gently placed it on the blanket, then knelt behind it. 

Then they met. Ozpin was not Ozma, of course, not per se: he had reincarnated in this body. However, moreso than his other incarnations, he felt closer to the original in this body. When he looked at Salem, he remembered all of his ancestor’s memories: rescuing this woman from the tower, dying as she wailed his name, the words of the Good Brother and the evil one, their happy reunion, their rule, and the horrible end to it. “Salem,” was all he said.

She kept her hands at her side. “Ozpin.”

He motioned to the blanket. Salem walked around it, and slowly knelt, smoothing her cloak. Ozpin sat crosslegged, his cane next to him. Weiss, her hands shaking, set out cups and saucers—Taiyang’s best china, brought out of storage and hurriedly cleaned—and picked up the coffee pot. It took her two tries. “Child,” Salem sighed, “allow me.”

“N-no…” Weiss said. “I can do it.” She was a Schnee, after all, and Schnees always did their best, even when serving coffee in the strangest summit in the history of Remnant. She took a deep breath, and poured them both coffee. Neither asked for sugar or sweetener, so Weiss bowed, picked up the tray, and withdrew. Everyone was out of hearing range now, just watching, leaving the two of them alone.

“What is this all about?” Ozpin was in no mood for niceties and the sparrings of diplomacy. If she was sincere, he’d know it soon enough. If it was a trap, he wanted to get it over with.

“I…” Salem hesitated. “I have come to a realization.” She toyed with the cup, and to Ozpin’s utter surprise, he saw that she was nervous. “This war of ours is completely unwinnable.”

Ozpin drank some of the coffee to cover his look of satisfaction. _About bloody time,_ he wanted to say, but instead he merely replaced the cup in its saucer. “I see. Thousands of years, and you’ve just now come to this conclusion.”

“Yes,” she answered. “And no. I have been thinking of it for awhile, actually. It was why I spared Summer’s life.”

“Ah. A peace offering, as such.”

Salem smiled. “Not exactly. I hoped the chaos of her returning after 13 years gone would buy me a little time.”

“For what?”

“A vacation.”

Ozpin raised his eyebrows. “A vacation.”

“Just because you never take one doesn’t mean I can’t,” she snapped, with all the shrewishness he remembered. “Cooped up in what’s left of our old castle, surrounded by fools and lunatics and Grimm. Bored out of my skull. I needed to do _something._ ” She took a sip of the coffee, holding the saucer with her pinky outwards, a gesture so familiar that Ozpin suppressed a start. “Aren’t you tired, Ozma?” That gave him another jolt. “I know Ozma is in there, somewhere. Ozma, Ozpin, Ozwhatever. You’re all in there. The drunk, the warrior, the banker, the headmaster, the farmer? Again and again and again. For what?”

“You know what the Good Brother told Ozma—told me,” Ozpin corrected himself. “And to be honest, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. I never thought I would actually get a chance to.”

“Oh?” It was her turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Your plan. You are aware that I know your intentions?”

She laughed softly. “You’d be a fool not to.”

“You intend to gather all four Relics, which will trigger the Brother Gods to return and judge us. They will find us unworthy, destroy the world and everyone in it, and in turn, destroy you as well, bringing an end to your immortal life—and mine. We will be reunited in the afterlife at last.”

Salem inclined her head. “Exactly.”

“Have you ever considered that perhaps they will find us… _worthy?”_

She stared at him for a moment. “You’re serious.”

“I am.”

Salem laughed harshly. “Those two hypocritical bastards?”

“Salem, look behind me. At Summer. Taiyang. Qrow. Team RWBY.” He waited until she sighed and did as he asked. “They represent the best of humanity and Faunus. Yes, they’re all flawed—naïve, driven, drunken, immature, prideful, afraid, conceited. But they can rise above that. And _have._ You’ve fought Summer; you know what she is capable of. Taiyang never quits. Qrow does his best despite a Semblance that curses him. Ruby strives to become a great leader. Yang realizes her drawback and tries to overcome it. Blake has found friends. Weiss has become more than just a Schnee heiress. If the Brothers judge humanity by people like them…” Ozpin shrugged, took another drink of coffee. “…then they will not destroy this world. And if that’s the case, can you actually win?” He set the cup down and sat back, feeling satisfied. He’d waited, in various lives, a long time to say those words.

Salem sat in silence for awhile. She’d wondered that herself. Her current faction was merely the latest version. She’d gathered allies before, not unlike the ones she had: the psychotic, the vengeful, the lustful, the fearful. Sometimes she’d succeeded in killing Ozma’s current host. More often, she’d failed. She felt she had the best chance at it this time, but she had been wrong before. If humanity was so deeply flawed and easily led, then why did she keep being defeated?

And why was she here?

Salem spoke at last. “I see something else, Ozma,” she said quietly. “And that is what made me agree to Summer Rose’s proposal that we talk.” She pointed at Team RWBY, which made all four of them jump in surprise and fear. “Those four girls. We had four girls once. And in our anger and fear, we killed them. Both of us.”

Ozpin closed his eyes. It had not been actually him that died that night, or his children. But they might as well have been. The pain was all the same. “Yes,” he agreed. “We did.”

“I see them, this…Team RWBY. And I wonder if our girls would have grown up to be like them. If they might have united humanity with a velvet glove rather than our iron fist. It was what I wanted—to replace humans with better versions of themselves.”

“And somehow, the humans did it themselves. Without our help. Or, perhaps, in spite of it.” 

“Perhaps. But they, in their innocence, would never have wanted Mommy and Daddy to murder each other again and again and again. Somewhere along the way, Ozpin, maybe from the beginning…we forgot about them.” She visibly fought back the tears. “And Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long reminded me of this fact: a mother’s love and a father’s love for their children is the most powerful magic of all. I’d forgotten that. And that is why we are here, talking.”

Ozpin reached out. Salem jerked away, but he kept reaching, and gently ran her hair through his fingers. “There is something else about you that was not there before. And it’s not just the hair.”

“I suppose so.” Salem smiled wryly. “In Vacuo, I met a…young man. And he was good. He was very good.”

Ozpin shrugged. “You’ve taken legions of lovers before.”

“Yes. As have you. But my lovers have never, not once, accepted me without reservation. They made love—had sex, would be a more proper term—with me because they wanted power, or out of fear, or because I compelled them to. This young man found me beautiful.” She held up her black-veined arms. “And meant it.”

“I must congratulate this young man.”

Salem laughed again, but not harshly. “You should.” She waited until he was drinking his coffee. “He’s one of your students. Sun Wukong.” _Perfect,_ she thought, as he spit his coffee all over the lawn. “You should probably give him high marks. I did.” Casually, she brought her hands up. Onlookers would just think she was making a point with her hands, but she was actually measuring length.

“Sun _Wukong?”_ Ozpin exclaimed. “You had sex with _him?”_

“Mm-hm.” She sipped her coffee coquettishly. “I don’t remember if you’ve ever reincarnated as a Faunus, or took one to wife. You should. It’s amazing what they can do with their tails.” She shivered theatrically. “He made me feel alive again, Ozpin.”

Ozpin dried off his face with a napkin. Summer took that time for an intermission, and brought out a tray of cookies. “I thought you two might like one.”

“Certainly,” Ozpin said, regaining his internal balance, and took a cookie. So did Salem. Summer gave an awkward curtsey and went back to the others, barely avoiding a tackle from Ruby. Ozpin bit into the chocolate chip cookie. It was excellent. So did Salem. “Ohf…” she murmured around the cookie. “Ohf muf _gofds.”_ She swallowed. “That is so good.” She ate the rest and licked her fingers. “You should weaponize those cookies. I’d have no defense.”

Ozpin finished his, washing it down with more coffee. “Very well. We’ve established that you have rediscovered the good life. And you perhaps acknowledge that your plan will fail. And that we are both responsible for some foolish things, including the death of our children. What is your proposal?” He wondered if she was going to say to gather the Relics, force the gods’ return, and leave it to their judgement. Despite what he had said earlier, he wondered if the Brothers truly would return at that, or if they would wait. There was an ocean of blood between Salem and himself, too many memories, too many wars. This was merely a start, nothing more.

“A truce,” Salem said. “For 13 years—the same years I kept Summer from her family. And yes, you must also thank Taiyang Xiao Long for pointing that out, that I took Summer from him the same way the Brothers took you from me. Very direct, that one.”

“Indeed.” He gave it some thought. “13 years. What happens during this armistice, as it were?”

“I make no additional Grimm. I make no moves against the Relics or the Maidens. You, in turn, make no moves against me. I have no control of the Grimm which already exist, so your Huntsmen and Huntresses will be busy anyway. I will also not recall my minions already in the field, but I will inform them that the plan has been suspended. They will either go home or make their own way, but I’m quite sure you will be able to stop them should they be ambitious or stupid enough to continue. I have no control over the White Fang, so don’t ask.”

“And afterwards?”

“Afterwards, we reevaluate our position. Perhaps the peace will be renewed for another 13 years. Or perhaps we will return to our eternal war. Or perhaps we gather the Relics and take our chances with the Brother Gods.”

“Should I consult with the other realms?”

“Why?” she asked. “They would keep you talking for weeks. They would ask for something in writing, and we’d fight for a year over the shape of the negotiating table. No, Ozpin. In the end, this is between you and I. It always has been. It always will be. One way or the other.”

“I agree.” He began to raise his hand, but she held up hers. “There is…one addendum to the treaty.”

“Such as?” Ozpin knew there was going to be a catch.

“Just once more…or, perhaps, several times more…” She smiled at him, with a smile that took him back thousands of years. “You will kiss me.” Then she shrugged. “Or, if you like, we can do more than just kiss, but I thought maybe we’d start there. And I honestly am not sure you’re married in this incarnation.”

“I’m not.”

“Well, let me know, so I can do a hold person spell on the people over there, because I’m not going to make love in front of them.” Salem offhandedly thought it would probably serve her right if she did, given that she’d spied on the infamous threesome. Among other things.

“I think we’ll start with a kiss.” Ozpin, despite himself, felt more than a little stirring. There was a reason, after all, they had had four children.

Team RWBY and STQ held their breath as Ozpin and Salem leaned forward. Their kiss started with a peck on the lips, then their arms came up to embrace each other as the kiss deepened, the eons fell away, and both saw the other as Ozma the Great Warrior, and Salem the Lady in the Tower. The touch of tongues brought them back to the sudden present. “We’d better not go any farther than that,” he whispered.

Salem looked down. “Ozpin,” she smiled, “are you…hard?”

“Perhaps. But I don’t believe it’s terribly cold out here, but I can tell you wear nothing beneath that dress.” He could clearly see the outlines of her hardened nipples. 

“I’ve still got it.” Her red eyes smoldered. “I still know how to do that thing with my legs.”

“And I still know how to use the oven mitts.” Ozpin shook his head. “But not now.”

“Very well.” She sat back on her haunches. “This is not the end, Ozpin. It’s not even the beginning of the end.”

“No,” he replied with a smile, “but it is the end of the beginning.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a good place to end this chapter, stealing from Winston Churchill. I doubt he'd mind. 
> 
> Not quite done with this, as I'll write a few more chapters. Cinder's still out there, after all, and she's not going to stand down just because Salem tells her to. (And maybe I'll finally get some damn comedy up in here.)


	18. Express Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the strange peace settles over Remnant, Ozpin has an offer for Summer Rose. And meanwhile, back at Beacon, Pyrrha knows there's no denying her attraction to Jaune. But will Jaune feel the same way?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, back on track. Hopefully I can keep updating as regularly as the past, but again, no guarantees. I don't want to burn out on this. I did delete the last chapter, which was really just a placeholder. I save the fourth wall breaking for "Tales of Remnant."
> 
> The rest of the story will be some chapters of the characters, and how "the Peace" will affect them. No timeskips, but hopefully some surprises. And we'll start off with some Arkos, because who doesn't like a little Arkos? (Besides Cinder.)

_The House of Taiyang and Summer_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_Later That Day_

Ozpin looked at the smoking circle that had been where Salem was standing, until she had teleported away. Whether back to her realm or to Vacuo, he had no idea. He was still processing the fact that, suddenly, Remnant was at peace. Of course, that assumed she would keep her word, which was never a sure bet…but something seemed different about her, this time, different from all the other times his incarnations had experienced. Except one.

He’d have to think about that one. In the meantime, there were quite a few things he needed to get done. Luckily, a few of those could be taken care of immediately.

“Are you all right, Oz?” Qrow asked, coming up to stand beside him.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if I should be literally jumping for joy or bracing for a full-scale attack on Beacon.”

“Don’t trust her?”

“Would you?”

Qrow sighed and took a drink from his flask. “Two days ago? Not as far as I could throw Atlas. Now?” He shrugged. “You didn’t see her start crying when she saw Ruby and Yang together. Either Salem’s a lot better actress than I gave her credit for, or she’s genuinely regretting.”

“I hope so. As I live and breathe, I hope so.” Oz put a hand out, and Ozpin handed him the flask. He turned it up, then handed it back. “No matter what happens, at least Summer Rose is back. That makes it worth it.”

Qrow grinned. “Sure as hell does. Stay for lunch, Oz?”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

It was a bit crowded around the dinner table, but they managed. They all made small talk while they ate—Summer, Tai, Qrow, Oz, and Team RWBY—but studiously avoided any talk of Salem. Everyone was still processing it.

Summer noticed that Oz was polite but distant, moreso than he would’ve with students. After lunch was over, he poured himself the last of the coffee and, getting Summer’s attention, inclined his head towards the front lawn. She excused herself and followed him out.

“It’s good to have you back,” he began.

“Good to be back,” she answered. Summer always felt nervous in Ozpin’s prescence. 

“I was curious as to…your future plans.”

Summer nodded. “My Huntress days are over. At least for the foreseeable future.”

Ozpin nodded as well. “A day ago, I might’ve argued with you over that, but it seems that the current numbers of Huntsmen and Huntresses will be quite sufficient.”

“You still would’ve lost, Professor. I think I’ve given more than enough to realm and country.”

Ozpin was silent for awhile. “You’re right, of course. If anyone has earned it, it’s you.” He smiled at her. “I ask you again: what are your plans?”

Summer shrugged. “I don’t know. I figure I’d take some time to catch up with Tai and the kids. Then maybe see if Signal had any spots open next semester. Or just become Little Miss Housewife.”

“I can’t see you doing that.”

She looked down. Neither could she. She might quit being a Huntress, but she knew that sooner or later, she would get bored. “Maybe not. Tai and I thought about having another child—maybe a boy this time, if we get lucky. But for now, at least, I want the time to think it over.”

“And oddly enough, thanks to Salem, you do—if she keeps her word.” He put up a hand to forestall her. “Yes, she seems sincere. But if there’s anything I know about Salem, it’s that she can change her mind.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Summer didn't think so, but Ozpin knew Salem better than anyone.

“There is one other matter, and I ask you not hate me for making the proposal.”

Summer elbowed him. “I could never hate you,” she said.

“Very well.” Ozpin took a drink of courage, and plunged on. “Amber, the Fall Maiden, is in very poor health. I was wondering…perhaps…”

“No.” Summer smiled at him. “I’m flattered, Professor, really. But if I became the Fall Maiden, I would paint another target on my back. And Salem would learn about it very quickly. Even she might be unable to resist the temptation to take a shot at me. Besides, with these silver peepers—“ she pointed at her eyes “—I’m already powerful enough. If I got Maiden powers, I might blow up.”

“I doubt that.” Ozpin gave her a nod. “All right. But may I at least ask that you help me choose a good candidate?”

“How much time do we have?”

Ozpin gazed into his coffee cup. “Not long. But I do have a very short list of candidates.”

_Beacon Academy_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_About the Same Time_

Pyrrha Nikos sat on the roof of the dorm, where she normally trained with Jaune Arc. She was alone, and it was during the daytime. She was enjoying the spring sunshine, but her mind was elsewhere.

“Hey, Pyrrha!”

She craned her head behind her. “Hello, Jaune.” She patted the ground next to her. “Do you mind sitting with me a moment?”

“Sure.” Jaune walked over and sat down. Though it was still spring break and there were no classes, both wore their school uniforms. “What’s up?”

“I…wanted to talk to you about…” Pyrrha couldn’t look at him. “…the other night.”

Jaune turned a little red, but waved it off. “Ah, don’t worry about it, Pyr! We were both a little crazy that night. It’s all good. I’ve actually kinda forgotten about the whole thing, really.”

She sighed. She knew Jaune wasn’t stupid, but she also knew he was going to need some motivation to see what was right in front of him. And weirdly enough, the events of what was now being called—unofficially—the Lust Wave was giving her the courage to do it. “Jaune, has it ever occurred to you why I came after you in the shower?”

“Well, you couldn’t really go after Ren! He was with Nora, and—“

“Or anyone else?”

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, saw the pain in her eyes, and knew what she wanted to hear. Contrary to popular belief, he was not oblivious to the fact that Pyrrha cared for him a great deal. And if there was anything the Lust Wave proved to _him,_ it was that she was very much on his mind as well. After all, when he woke up with the burning need to have sex with someone, his first thoughts were for Pyrrha. Not Weiss or Nora, or any of the other eligible girls at Beacon. Just Pyrrha.

Jaune wasn’t a very good poker player either, and Pyrrha watched the play of emotions on his face. She thought about just going for it and kissing him—that’s what Nora would’ve done—but that was not her, no matter how much she wanted it to be. _Why?_ she wanted to scream at him. _Why won’t you just say it? Why can’t I just say it?_

Then he did say something. “Pyrrha,” Jaune said quietly, “you don’t want me.”

“I..d…” She couldn’t get the words out.

“You think you do,” Jaune told her, “but I’m a loser. I cheated my way into Beacon, you know that. I had no business being here and you and JNPR had to carry me. Okay, I’m getting better, but I’m still the weakest guy in Beacon. Heck, even Ruby’s a better fighter than me. My grades are only iffy, I have the muscle tone of a wet noodle, and I’m not even that good looking. You can find someone better, Pyr.” He started to get up, but she put a hand on his leg. Pyrrha’s grip, when she wanted it to be, was like iron.

“You think I care about any of that?” she said, barely above a whisper. “Do you think I want to be with some muscle-bound dolt like Cardin? Do I care about your grades? Or that you cheated?”

“You should,” Jaune replied sadly. “Why the hell would you even want me?”

“Because you see me.”

Jaune didn’t know how to respond. “Of course I—“ Pyrrha’s right hand shot forward and gripped him around the cheeks. “No,” she said, almost in a snarl. “You _see_ me, Jaune. Who I really am. You don’t like me because I’m beautiful or because I’m a natural redhead or because I’m the Invincible Girl of Mistral. You like me because I’m Pyrrha and I’m your friend.”

“Mmmf mphhf,” he struggled out, so she let him go. “Well, yeah,” he said when he was finally able to speak. “But…it’s just…Pyrrha, I’m just not good for you.”

“Who told you that? I didn’t tell you that. Maybe Weiss told you that, or Cardin. But I sure as…as…sure as _fuck_ didn’t!” Jaune nearly fell over at that; Pyrrha never cursed. Eyes blazing, she stood up, towering over him. “I am going down to the dorm room, Jaune. I am going to either strip naked or cry my eyes out, and I’m not really sure which. But either way, if you’re not there in five minutes…I’ll know. And I won’t bother you again.” Before he could stop her, she stalked off.

Pyrrha stormed down the stairs, fighting back tears, not sure if she was more angry at Jaune or herself. She probably driven him away. _I know better than that,_ she thought bitterly. _I know better than to speak my mind. You’re supposed to smile and nod, Pyrrha Nikos. That’s what the Pumpkin Pete people told you. You should listen to them._ She stomped down the hallway, not seeing who else was there.

“Well, hello there, Red,” Cardin Winchester greeted her, in an epic example of poor timing. “Where’s the noo—“

In one fluid motion, Pyrrha turned and slammed Cardin against the wall, her arm against his neck, the other hovering dangerously close to his genitals. “The next words out of your mouth had better be important ones,” she growled, “because they will be your _last._ ” Cardin nodded frantically, and Pyrrha let him go. She speared him on green eyes, spit on the floor, and strode away. He watched her reach Team JNPR’s door, practically kick it open, and slam it shut with a thunder that echoed all over Beacon. 

Then Cardin saw Jaune walking in the same direction, though with him it was his usual halting walk. “Hey, Jaune,” he called out.

“Not now, Cardin,” Jaune replied tiredly.

“Hey, no. She’s super pissed, man. As one guy to another, you go in there, and they’re going to pick up your remains with a squeegee.” Cardin despised Jaune, and the feeling was mutual, but even he could not watch Jaune Arc go easily into death. 

“I’ll be okay.” Jaune kept walking. Cardin, after shaking his head in wonder, did the same.

Jaune opened the door and closed it behind him. He half-expected to see Pyrrha either on her bed weeping, or stripping for action. She was doing neither. The only part of her clothing she’d removed was her jacket. She simply stood in the middle of the room, her back to him. 

“Pyrrha?” he said hesitantly. “I’m sorry.”

“Quit saying that,” she shot back.

Jaune opened his mouth, closed it, and pondered his options. One was to run. The other was to do the most courageous thing he’d ever done in his life, even more brave than fighting a Death Stalker or an Ursa: he walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. She turned in his embrace, and lay her head on his chest. “I’m not crying,” she told him, and she was speaking the truth. She just felt empty.

“I know.” He brushed her hair with his hands. “Pyrrha…okay, look, not going to lie. You are the most beautiful girl in the world. I can’t believe you even talk to me, let alone like me. But…I just want you to have the best, and I’m not him.”

“I don’t want the best,” she murmured. “I want you.”

He sighed. “You remember anything about the shower the other night?”

He felt her actually smile. “We know what the other looks like naked.”

“Before that.”

“A little bit.”

“How about the part where I sort of, you know, well, prematurely ejaculated all over your stomach?”

Pyrrha nodded. “I remember that part. And it’s okay, Jaune.”

“Well…if we were to hook up…I think it would happen again. I don't know if could handle that. That's what I'm scared of--disappointing you.”

"That is something you could never do." She pulled back away from him. “Would you…like to find out if you would...prematurely?” She found other things to look at besides his face.

“Absolutely not,” Jaune replied. At her shocked face, he said, “I don’t want you thinking you need to use sex to get someone, Pyrrha. Not even me.”

“I understand, and that’s a very good thing to say. I wouldn’t do that.” Pyrrha finally did look at him. “What if I just want to l…lo…” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and willed herself to finish it. “Just wanted to make love to you because you’re you?”

Jaune looked at her. “You can’t mean that.” Pyrrha nodded. “Me?” She nodded again, more emphatically. “I…guess that would be okay?”

“Okay…okay then.” She stepped back away from him. “Er…let’s…well, we need to get naked here…if you want to…”

Jaune’s heart began hammering as if Nora was suddenly in charge of his circulation system. Part of him still wanted to flee out the door, but he summoned his courage. No, he was going to do this. “I do.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” She began untying the ties at her throat, hands shaking so badly she wasn’t sure if she could do it. Jaune wasn’t having much better luck with his tie, but finally he got it off by main force. The jacket was easier—it ended up on Ren’s bed—and he started working on his shirt buttons. Pyrrha finally gave up and just started taking off the blouse the way someone would a T-shirt. Then she got stuck. “Jaunmf…helpf…”

He’d gotten the shirt off, losing the bottom button in the process, but now went to go help Pyrrha. She was bent over, stuck in the shirt, but between her pushing and his pulling, that finally came off. He paused a bit at her bra, but then she started working on the skirt, after kicking off her shoes. Jaune managed to get his shoes off by the simpler process of stepping out of them, but he was trying to get his pants off at the same time. Pyrrha didn’t laugh, mainly because she was pondering on whether or not to take her leggings off. About the same time as Jaune got the pants off, she decided she might as well. Luckily, they rolled off easily, even if she did have to hop on one foot. “There,” she said, after tossing them aside.

Jaune looked up. For some reason, Pyrrha was just as beautiful in her rather plain underwear as she was nude. Almost. He was seized with such an uncontrollable desire to kiss her that he wondered if another Lust Wave had hit. He moved towards her, only to be hobbled by the fact that one foot was still stubbornly in a pants leg. “Wait…hold on…” He flung it off, though it took almost a full minute. “Got it.”

And now they were in their underwear. Pyrrha looked down. “Um, Jaune…aren’t you supposed to be, well, um, hard?”

“I’m…kinda nervous.” His laugh proved that. 

“Why? You weren’t before. I remember that.”

“You didn’t give me time to think about it.”

“Oh, I see.” Pyrrha beckoned him forward. “Why don’t you…unhook my bra?”

“Uh, sure! Okay!” Jaune finally got to her, reached behind her—which required her breasts to be mashed against his chest—and seized hold of the bra strap. “Okay, I got this. Let’s see.” His fingers found the catch, and he fiddled with it. “Um. Hmm.” 

Pyrrha stifled a giggle. “Here, Jaune. I’ll get it.”

“No, I got it…I think.” She waited patiently, but he finally got the clasp loose. She let the bra fall forward, and pulled it off. “Wow,” he marveled at the sight before him.

“You like them?” Pyrrha blushed. “You’ve seen them before, but last time, we weren’t really…anyway…they’re not too big? But I guess guys like them big?”

“Uh, some guys do, but…yours are…really…cute.” Jaune really had no words for Pyrrha’s breasts. They were somewhat larger than her athletic frame would indicate, but they were perfect, as far as he was concerned. Of course, the only breasts he’d ever seen before 48 hours previously were his sisters, when he’d accidentally caught one or two of them changing, and that wasn’t exactly thrilling. 

“Cute?” Pyrrha smiled. “I’ll take it.” She gently pushed him back, took a deep breath—there was no going back now—and pulled down her panties. She supposed that she should make some kind of show of it, which might turn Jaune on, but by the time she thought of it, they were around her ankles. So Pyrrha just stepped out of them. “Well, here I am,” she said softly.

“Um…yeah.” He’d seen her body before, the other night, but this was different. The other night, it had been an awkward joke, but this was intimate. And, weirdly, cute. It felt right, and Jaune found he wasn’t really even that nervous anymore. 

She noticed that he was staring at the red curls between her legs. “I didn’t really have time to shave it off. I know guys like that. I’ll do it sometime—“

“I actually like it that way,” Jaune insisted before he realized he’d said it. “It’s, er, trimmed.”

“Oh, yes. I wear bikinis sometimes, so…you know…got to keep the hedge tidy.” She laughed, a little higher than normal. She put her hand out, clearly inviting him. Jaune gave a quick nod, hooked his fingers into the waistband of his boxers, and quickly pulled them down. Pyrrha inspected Jaune with interest. He still wasn’t hard, the penis still soft in its bed of blond pubic hair. “I don’t understand. Is it…me?”

“No!” Jaune exclaimed. “No. I’m just…I don’t know what it is.”

Pyrrha put her finger against her cheek, the same expression she wore when trying to solve a math problem. “Oh! Maybe you’re worried that Nora and Ren will come in?” That was not likely, as Ren had taken Nora on a lunch date, but they might get done early. 

“That must be it!” Jaune hurried towards the door, trying to get one of his socks off—the last article of clothing either one wore besides Pyrrha’s circlet, and she took that off. Then she burst out laughing at the sight of Jaune’s butt wiggling as he was now hopping towards the door. Finally he got the sock off, quickly opened the door, did a quick check of the empty corridor, and quickly slipped the sock over the doorknob. Of course, now everyone at Beacon knew what was going on in Chateau JNPR, but it was better than being walked in on by someone. Ren and Nora would understand; they’d probably be happy, actually.

Jaune tossed away the other sock, and jogged back to Pyrrha. “Okay.” They both looked down. Still nothing. “Uh…maybe…”

“Maybe I need to look seductive,” Pyrrha finished. She gave it a try. First, she grabbed both of her breasts and squeezed them together, as if offering them to him. Then she bent over, put her hands on her knees, and closed her eyes. Then she let her hair down, curled it around her fingers and over her shoulders, and put a sexy look on her face—at least she hoped it was. 

“Not working,” Jaune sighed. “What the heck is wrong with me?” Pyrrha suddenly laughed and shook her head. “What?”

“I’m a fool,” she tittered. “I already know what to do.” And she reached forward, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him. After a second, his arms came up to rest on her back, and they were once more pressed against each other. Pyrrha hadn’t been kissed very often, and Jaune never had, other than in the shower, but they learned quickly. After a minute or so of enjoying each other’s lips, Pyrrha drew back, a soft smile on her face. “That seems to have worked.”

Jaune didn’t have to look down to know he was as hard as a rock. “Guess I have a kissing fetish?” He didn’t think so; he just liked kissing Pyrrha.

“I can think of worse ones. At least we don’t have some sort of strange mistress-servant thing going on.” Pyrrha giggled. “And now we’re dancing.” For some reason, they had begun swaying to unheard music. 

“Arms around each other…it’s understandable.”

“I like it,” she said, “but the bed is probably more comfortable.”

Jaune nodded, and they slow-danced over to his bed. He got on first, and Pyrrha laughed again, because it was clear he expected her to go on top. Not that there was anything wrong with that. She did so, though she almost kicked him as she put one leg over him. Then he was between her legs. “Pyrrha, I have a pretty personal question…not sure if you want to answer it...”

“Jaune, we’re both naked and about to have sex. I think you can ask those.” Now that she was over the initial embarrassment, she felt a bit more confident.

“Are you…um…y’know…a virgin? Because I totally am, and that’s okay if you’re not, or you are—“

“I’m a virgin, Jaune.” She smiled down at him. “For another few seconds.” She gripped him, opened her thighs, and…stopped. Jaune lay there, looking up at the gorgeous beauty atop him, but Pyrrha wasn’t moving. Her expression was now unsure, nervous again, though she still had a hand around his member. “Uh, Pyr?”

“Jaune,” she said at last, “I don’t think I can do this. I want to, but…” She swallowed, scooted back a little bit, and regarded his erection. “I think that’s going to hurt if it goes inside.”

“Oh, yeah…I didn’t think of that.” Jaune remembered the extremely awkward sex education classes back home. It would probably hurt Pyrrha. He didn’t know if she still had a hymen—some girls broke theirs in training or in combat, and she’d seen plenty of both—but it still would probably hurt. 

“Sorry,” she said.

He thought of something else. “Actually, that’s okay. I’m not wearing a, uh, rubber…thing. Condom. Unless you have one of those…well, whatever girls use.” He couldn’t remember, exactly. 

Pyrrha let go of Jaune and lay down next to him. “We really didn’t plan this out very well.”

“We can do something else.”

She brightened, then Pyrrha _did_ look seductive, all the moreso because she wasn’t actually trying to. “Oh, I know!” Then she reached out and took hold of his erection again. It had softened a little, but that changed very quickly. Then she started moving her hand up and down. 

“Pyrrha, you don’t mean—“

“Mmm-hm.” She was a complete novice at it, but it wasn’t exactly rocket science. She tried to be gentle while being firm at the same time, almost like she was wielding Milo in a close in fight, not gripping too hard or too lightly. It certainly seemed to be working: to her surprise, Jaune seemed to be getting even bigger and thicker, the head starting to turn purplish—that concerned her; perhaps she was cutting off the supply of blood, so she loosened her grip a little. 

“Pyrrha!” Jaune half-shouted. “I’m not…going to…”

“That’s okay, Jaune,” she whispered to him, kissing his ear. “Let go whenever you like.”

That was all the incentive he needed. Jaune came hard, groaning, and Pyrrha jumped a little as the thick white streams shot over his stomach, her leg, and all over her hand. She kept going until his seed had mostly stopped. “Oh my.” 

Jaune blew out a breath he’d been involuntarily holding. “Sorry…”

“For what?”

“Making you do all the work.”

“It’s okay. I liked watching you.” She meant it. True, he’d made the strangest face at his peak, but she supposed she probably looked pretty weird herself at what Nora called the Big O. She got up to get some paper towels, and dried him off patiently. Her fingers trailed down his chest. She didn’t know where Jaune got the impression he was a noodle. He was lean. 

“Pyrrha, let me do something for you.”

“Um…sure.”

“Let me give you a hand.” The joke sounded stupid when he said it, but as he reached out himself, Pyrrha laughed. "That's terrible," she snorted. "Even Yang wouldn't use that one."

The angle was a bit awkward, so she brought one leg up, giving him a little better access. Jaune felt like someone had set his face on fire: he was about to put his fingers in a girl. And not just any girl, but the most beautiful one on Remnant, a face that would launch a thousand airships. He stopped too.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Just can’t believe I’m about to do this.”

“Jaune, it’s okay.” She touched his face, then guided his fingers to her. She was already moist, to his surprise. One last glance at her, and the smile on her face. “Why don’t you lay back?” he told her.

“Oh…certainly.” She rolled over, opened her thighs a little, while Jaune got closer, laying alongside of her. He rested his fingers on her entrance, and Pyrrha closed her eyes, giving him a quick nod. 

Jaune expected some resistance, but there really wasn’t any, and he was able to get two fingers in. “Does it hurt?” he asked. She shook her head, still smiling. Then he pulled them out, then pushed back in. “Okay? Does it feel okay?”

“It’s strange. But I like it. You can go a little faster.” She stiffened as he found a sensitive spot. “That…right there.” Jaune rubbed at it inside, marveling at the feeling of her wetness around his fingers, and her inner strength. He kept up the pressure, moving, and Pyrrha’s smile faded. Her lips parted, and she began to take deep breaths, the same technique she used in combat. Jaune noticed that, right in front of him, was a pink nipple, so it seemed the right thing to do to lick it. And keep doing so. 

Jaune had read somewhere that it took awhile for girls to get to orgasm, but Pyrrha had evidently not read that article, because she was quite obviously getting there quickly. Her back was starting to arch, her breathing was ragged, and her hands were now on his, forcing him deeper. “J-Jaune,” she gasped. 

He reflected Pyrrha _had_ been right; this was fun. “It’s okay, Pyr,” he said, purposely copying her. “You can just let go anytime.”

The effect wasn’t quite as immediate, but Pyrrha was now meeting his fingers with thrusts of her own, her hands gripping the covers, her breasts heaving. Then her eyes flew open. Jaune thought Pyrrha might scream like the girls did in those videos he never admitted he watched, but she didn’t; in fact, she gave kind of a squeak and cough, but there was no doubt what was going on internally. Her thighs came together involuntarily and Jaune gave a squeak himself as she nearly broke his arm. “Oh, Jaune,” she breathed, and slowly relaxed. He extricated his fingers and shook them to try and get feeling back into them. There was a bruise forming, but no permanent damage. 

He lay down next to her. “Well, what do you think?”

Pyrrha rolled over and kissed his cheek. “I think I like this, Jaune.”

“Sorry we didn’t do more.”

She stared at the ceiling, knowing she was grinning like an idiot, but she didn’t care. So was Jaune, for that matter. “Well…we need to save something for the next time, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tend to write Jaune and Pyrrha's first time as being a little awkward, but let's face it--they're both kind of awkward characters in their own way. 
> 
> Those of you hoping that maybe Pyrrha's dark fate can be avoided should feel pretty good about her chances now. Cinder's still out there, but I think the next chapter's going to be a shot of Renora.


	19. Be My Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Nora go out for lunch, and Ren realizes his feelings for Nora. Now he has to make a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet. 
> 
> I think I'm going to go to a two day update schedule, alternating this with "On RWBY Wings" so I can keep track of both and not get burned out. And I haven't stopped "Love Hurts" either, as I've got some ideas after finishing up Season 7.

_The Dew Drop Inn, Vale_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_About the Same Time_

Lie Ren leaned back in his chair. His salad lay half-finished, but he wanted to take a moment, just to look.

Nora Valkyrie wasn’t exactly at her best. She was dressed in her regular outfit—white shirt, pink dress, high boots, her jacket over her chair—and at the moment, she was savagely masticating a steak. As he watched, she chomped down on half of it and pulled hard, like a dog confronted with a tough bone. The meat gave way and Nora snapped it down. She’d ordered a twelve-ounce steak and a mountain of mashed potatoes, and already half was gone less than ten minutes after getting it. Ren knew Nora would eat all of that, and still have plenty of room for dessert. Moreover, the food would have no impact on her short frame: Nora’s metabolism was legendary, rivaled only by Ruby Rose. She ate like she might not eat again for a week, and someone might take away what she had.

Mainly because, for most of Nora Valkyrie’s life, it had been like that.

Ren still remembered coming upon her the first time, when she had been caught stealing bread in his home village of Kuroyuri: a starved waif, terrified but not afraid to fight, alone. And then when Ren’s parents had died in the Grimm attack, they’d found each other. Somehow they’d survived that, and then the weeks on the run back to civilization, scrounging, fighting, even killing for food—just small animals, luckily, but on occasion they’d gotten so hungry Ren had seriously considered robbing someone. Then the orphanages—of which there were plenty of Remnant—and struggling to stay together. They’d drifted apart a few times, but always ended up back together. They regarded each other as siblings, but as they had matured into adults, they’d seen each other less and less as adopted brother or sister and more as partners, and then as lovers.

And no longer was Nora the starved waif. Now she’d filled out into a powerhouse: muscular, tough, capable of easily benching her own weight, plus his. He’d seen Nora lift Jaune with one hand. True, Jaune wasn’t exactly heavy, but it was still impressive. She’d never have the exotic beauty of a Blake Belladonna or the statuesque beauty of a Pyrrha Nikos: Nora was cute rather than pretty. But Ren wanted it no other way.

They’d started wanting each other for awhile now. It wasn’t surprising, considering their shared past, but Ren had always resisted the urge to sleep with her, though Nora clearly wanted him to. He felt like having sex would cheapen their relationship, somehow—as if he cared only for her body, instead of the wonderful woman she was. Despite her sometimes spacy attitude, he knew Nora was a deeply caring and affectionate person, who tended to love everyone she came in contact with (unless they pissed her off, in which case she’d nurse a grudge). She’d lost too much. And so had he: Ren knew that if something happened to Nora, he would himself not last much longer. He would either take his own life or just simply stop caring about what happened to him.

Then the Lust Wave had hit.

He and Nora had made an agreement when they came to Beacon. They would be together as a team, but not “together-together.” They would certainly hug, and occasionally sneak a kiss or two. Some of these kisses had turned into full-on makeout sessions that left them both breathless, but though he’d once or twice forgot himself and put a hand on a breast or high up on a thigh, they’d always broken it off. And then when the Wave hit, she’d attacked him.

And he’d let her. And when Nora stripped completely naked and bent over her bed with the same expression on her face as she wore when tearing into the steak, Ren hadn’t hesitated. He’d taken off what was left of his pajamas, quickly grabbed a condom (Ren always believed in preparing for all situations), and had taken her right there. Even then, lost in a haze of desire that he knew had little to nothing to do with the Lust Wave, he’d worried he was hurting her. Nora might have lost her virginity that night, but if he _had_ hurt her, she’d given no sign. In fact, given her shrieks of pleasure and what she’d been yelling out, which still made him blush a little, Nora had very much enjoyed it. Even after the Wave had worn off, she’d just shrugged and said it was fine…and, really, it was.

The last of the steak disappeared with a slurp, followed by a hefty portion of the sparkling cider he’d ordered. Then she noticed him staring at her. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” Ren said, smiling. “Just looking at you.” He pointed to her chin. “Steak sauce.”

“What? Oh.” She wiped it off with a napkin. “Heh. Sorry. I know I’m a sloppy eater.”

Ren kept his expression placid, but inside, his heart began to beat faster, and he surreptitiously wiped his sweating hands on his pants. He went over it mentally again. No, it was the right decision. He had to do this.

“Nora,” he began, dropping his voice. The restaurant was crowded for the lunch rush, but he’d gotten a table away from the others. “About the other night…when the Wave hit…”

She laughed. “Oh, Ren. I’ve told you like twenty times not to worry about it! I mean, it’s me who should be apologizing. I attacked you.”

“I wasn’t exactly fighting you off with a stick.”

“So?” She took another drink of cider. “Ren, I’ve always wanted you. Yeah, it didn’t happen the way we wanted to, but I think we would’ve ended up like that sooner or later.” She sat back in her chair, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. “Though next time I’m going on top. All I could see was my bedspread and Jaune and Pyrrha trying to pretend they weren’t watching.”

“I’d prefer to not have an audience either,” Ren stated. He wondered if Nora had an exhibitionist fetish he didn’t know about.

“Me too. If I’d been in my right mind, I would’ve thrown something at them.”

Ren toyed with his fork. “Nora…I have to ask something very important. Maybe this isn’t the time and place, but I have to know.” He rubbed his face, and wished his Semblance could help him here. “Do you love me?”

The smirk didn’t move. “Duh.”

“Nora, really.” He reached across and took her hand in both of his. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you love me.”

Nora leaned forward, and fixed him with such an intense stare that it took all of Ren’s willpower not to pull back. “Ren, I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you when we were kids.”

“Not that kind of love—“

“ _All_ the kinds of love. I loved you as the brother I never had. I loved you as my best friend. And now I love you as my lover. In fact, I may just skip dessert, take you to the hotel above this place, and screw you until you’re begging me to stop.” She brought his hands up to her lips and kissed them. “I love you, Lie Ren.”

Ren fought down tears. All right, then. He pulled back his hands gently, stood up, and took two steps forward. Then he turned and faced the restaurant. “Attention, please!” Ren’s voice was not quite a yell, but it carried throughout the place and held the note of command, and people turned to face him. Conversation ceased. “I’d like you all to see this.” Then, with one last deep breath, Ren turned back to Nora, went down on one knee, pulled a little box from his pocket, and opened it. Inside was a ring, made of pure Mistrali silver, with a single heart made of miniature rubies. It had cost him a considerable amount of money and a very generous payment plan, which he had no idea how he was going to pay back, but it was all worth it for the look on Nora’s face. “Nora Valkyrie…will you marry me?”

She blinked exactly four times. “You…huh?”

Ren grinned. “Will you marry me, Nora?”

“But…you…me?”

“There is no one else I can think of to spend my life with. Let’s just say recent events have made me realize that.”

Her eyes turned misty, and two tears rolled down her cheeks. “Y…yes.”

Ren didn’t know Coco Adel was in the restaurant, but he did when she stood up and yelled, “We can’t hear you!”

Nora pulled Ren to his feet, stood on tiptoe, and gave him a soul-crushing kiss. She pulled away with a smack, turned to the crowd, and winked. “Hell _yes_ I will marry this man!”

The Dew Drop Inn erupted in cheers and clapping. Nora and Ren barely noticed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D'awww. Everyone loves Renora. 
> 
> I think next chapter will have some Bumblebee, but...are Yang and Blake really a couple after one night of awkward, Salem-magic inspired sex? And will Yang end up with a harem after all?


	20. Good Times With Bad Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Blake is late for breakfast, Yang goes looking for her. She finds Blake easy enough, but the two of them find they have a lot to discuss.
> 
> And then there's Adam...

_The House of Taiyang and Summer_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_The Next Day_

Yang Xiao Long felt the sunlight creep across her bed and smiled. Her eyes opened and she slowly sat up and stretched. She felt really refreshed, and wondered if that was because Remnant was suddenly (and secretly) more or less at peace, a leftover from Salem’s sleep spell, or the fact that she just felt good for some reason. “Morning, Blake!”

Then Yang realized the bedroll was empty. Blake’s yukata was folded on top of a chair, over her _Ninjas of Love_ collection. A quick glance in Blake’s suitcase saw that her battle outfit was gone, so Yang deduced she’d left earlier—probably for a run, she figured; Blake did occasionally run in the morning. Yang shrugged, got out of bed, and padded downstairs, following her nose.

Summer was awake, brewing coffee and making pancakes. “Good morning, sunshine,” she smiled at Yang.

“Hey, Mom.” Yang smiled back: not just because it was Summer, but also because ‘mom’ was getting easier to say all the time. It no longer felt weird. “Have you seen Blake?”

“Yes. She just left a little while ago. She said she was going for a run.” Summer poured some more pancake mix onto the pan. 

“Okay. Think I might go catch up to her.”

“Well, don’t wait too long. Once Ruby wakes up, there might not be anything left to eat. Not to mention your father.”

Yang found her shoes and threw them on over bare feet. “Weiss can pack it away too. We won’t be long, Mom.” She headed out the front door, and grinned at the soft sunshine and sweet-smelling air. It seemed fresher, somehow, but that was probably her imagination. 

She jogged lightly, taking her time, not really sure which way Blake had gone, but figuring the Faunus girl would stick to the path. She was right: within a few minutes, she spotted Blake’s black and white battle outfit, and the big ribbon in her hair. She wasn’t exercising or practicing; she was leaning against a tree. Yang saw that it was where the path swung to the south, paralleling the cliffside: the view from where Blake was might not be as spectacular as where Summer’s marker was, but it was still impressive enough.

“Hey, Blake,” Yang said as she entered the clearing.

Blake jumped, startled. Her hands had been in her lap, but they came up defensively. “Oh. Hey, Yang.”

“Whoa. You’re losing your touch, girl.” Yang stared down at her. “Can’t believe I snuck up on you.”

“Sorry,” Blake smiled weakly. “I was distracted by the view there.”

“Well, anyways…breakfast will be ready in a bit, if you’re hungry.”

Blake nodded. “Yeah, sure thing. Be there in a bit.”

Yang almost started back towards the house, but something in Blake’s tone and in her face stopped her. “Hey. You okay?”

“I’m fine.” The tone of her voice convinced Yang something was wrong.

Yang knelt next to her. “No, you’re not. Something’s bothering you, Blakey.” She noticed that the other girl’s face was flushed slightly, so she put a hand on Blake’s forehead. “You’re not hot or anything, but I—“ Then she noticed something else: Blake’s pants were unzipped. Though the Faunus was trying to hide it, Yang could see the black lace panties framed in both halves of the front of Blake’s pants. She grinned. “Well, well, well. Blake Belladonna. Were you out here thinking lewd thoughts?”

Blake’s eyes blazed. “Fuck off, Yang!”

The venom in her voice took Yang aback. Blake was capable of violently losing her temper, but it was rare—Weiss was more likely to get pissed off than Blake, and Weiss kept a tight rein on her emotions. One part of the brawler wanted to throw it right back, to tell Blake where to stick it and wrap it in barbed wire first. She got to her feet, ready to stalk off, but then saw those yellow eyes shining, and not entirely with anger. “Hey. I’m sorry. Just trying to make a joke. Kinda my thing.”

Blake drew up her knees to her chest. She opened her mouth, thought better of it, and her expression changed a little. “I’m sorry, Yang. I didn’t mean to snap like that.”

“Guess I can’t blame you. I’d be pissed if you interrupted me while I was…um…self-helping.” She patted Blake’s shoulder. “Hope I didn’t ruin the mood. I’ll tell Mom to hold you breakfast, and tell everyone you’re working out.” She started to walk away, but Blake’s hand grabbed her leg. 

“Please don’t go.”

Yang stopped. Blake was staring up at her, all anger gone, and now there was no doubt she had been crying, whatever else she'd been doing. Her friend bent down next to her. “Blake, what’s wrong?”

“What happened the other night…”

Yang laughed. “A lot of that going around. Never seen Weiss turn that shade of red before, and I think Ruby went through a bottle of mouthwash. Don’t sweat it, Blake! We weren’t thinking straight.”

“So why did I seduce you, of all people?”

Yang sat down and stretched out her legs. The grass felt cool and comfortable. “You know, Mom and I talked about this yesterday, before Salem showed up…”

Blake buried her face in her knees. “Oh gods.”

“Funny, that was _my_ reaction. But Mom gave me some good advice…about us. You and me.”

“She did?”

“Uh-huh. She said that it wasn’t all that surprising we hooked up. ‘Course, we didn’t know about Salem’s magic yet. But she said two lonely young women, desperate for some kind of affection, and yeah, it can happen.” Yang shrugged and smiled. “I was there. That’s why you came after me.” Yang put a finger on her lips in thought. “Actually, you came _before_ me, but anyway…”

Blake chuckled in spite of it all. “Yeah. Wow. I’m just…it’s really embarrassing.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like Weiss or Rubes is going to spread it around Beacon. We got stuff on them now, too. And if Professor Ozpin is right, probably all our friends ended up hooking up.”

Blake leaned back against the tree. She hurriedly zipped her pants up. “Well, I guess that means Pyrrha and Jaune finally had sex. About time.”

“Yeah. Yay, Salem, I guess.” Both of them immediately thought of Sun Wukong—they’d heard his name come up in the conversation between Ozpin and Salem—but neither wanted to be the first to mention it. “About us, Blake…” Yang spread her hands. “Mom said we really have two choices. We can just chalk it up to Salem and both of us being lonely, or we can…take it to a relationship. Friends with benefits.”

“I’m not a lesbian.” Blake checked herself. “Well, at least I didn’t think I was.”

“I think you’re bi, if nothing else.” Yang elbowed her. “You _were_ hitting on my dad.”

Blake covered her face with her hands. “You _would_ remember that,” she groaned. Then she looked out from between her fingers, and smiled. “Though your dad is kind of hot. For an old guy.”

“According to Mom, he could pull them in back in the day. But I wouldn’t say that about Dad in front of Mom. She’s likely to strangle you with your ribbon. Speaking of which…” Yang reached up, and before Blake could stop her, pulled off the ribbon. “You don’t have to wear that, you know. We all know you’re Faunus.” Blake rubbed her ears; they had been a little sore underneath the ribbon. “Besides, your kitty ears are cute.”

“Yang,” Blake asked, “are _you_ a lesbian?”

“I dunno. I like guys too. I don’t think I’m homosexual or bisexual.” Yang smirked. “I’m _omni_ sexual.”

“That means you’d bang anything.”

“Well, maybe I would!”

“Salem?” Blake snickered.

“Maybe,” Yang replied, after a moment of thought. “If it wasn’t for those black veins all over her, she’s kinda hot herself.”

“Ew.” They laughed together, which felt pretty good. “C’mon,” Yang said, starting to get up, “breakfast is going to be gone.”

Blake tugged her back down again, and her face was serious once more. “Before we do, Yang, there’s something I need to tell you. I don’t want to tell the team just yet.” She steepled her fingers, twiddled them a little. “You weren’t my first. Sexual experience, that is.”

“I kinda figured.” At Blake’s expression, Yang shrugged again. “With _your_ body, Blake? I bet your Bellabooty brings all the boys to the yard.”

“Just one, Yang. Just one boy.” She looked away, and Yang could tell she was struggling to say more.

“Oh, yeah. That Adam guy. You mentioned him right after you got done eating at Yang’s.” 

Blake held up a hand. “Stop with the jokes. I’m deadly serious. Because _he’s_ deadly serious. We had a bad breakup.”

“How bad?”

“Well, he’s part of the White Fang. High ranking commander. So not only did I leave him, I left the cause.”

Yang winced. “Oh, shit.”

“Damn right oh shit. He’s a little on the psycho side. You know, the kind that says ‘If I can’t have you, no one will’? Not to mention he thinks I betrayed the Faunus.” Blake leaned back against the tree, and thumped her head against it. “And he was the one I was thinking about, Yang. You’re right. I was sitting here diddling myself, thinking about _him._ ”

Yang leaned closer to her, trying to provide some comfort. “He _was_ your first. It's understandable. Was he good?”

Blake nodded. “Yes. He was very good. And he wasn’t always a psycho. In fact, when I first met him…he was crying.” Blake looked at the sky, remembering. “It wasn’t too long after Mom and Dad left the White Fang and Sienna Khan took over. Adam had just gotten back from a raid—on the Schnees, no less; Weiss’ dad’s company—but it had gone wrong. He’d lost a lot of friends. And he was back behind the stage, trying not to cry, but unable to stop. So I tried comforting him.”

“And that’s when?” Yang asked.

Blake laughed softly. “No, no. I was only 14 then. He was 16. I barely knew what sex was; I’m something of a late bloomer. But he was—is—handsome. Red hair, horns—don’t say it, Yang—“

“I wasn’t!” the brawler protested.

“—and he wasn’t like that. He wanted freedom for our people. He’d lost his parents in the mines. He’d been branded—“ Blake put a hand over her left eye “—and somehow managed to escape. He was this big, tough, freedom fighter…and he was crying over losing his friends.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Yang said. “If I lost one of you guys…”

“Well, he walked me home, and when he wasn’t out on missions, we started dating. And when we felt like I was ready, I left home and joined the White Fang, going out on missions with him.” She sniffed, then rubbed her eyes. “It was so weird, Yang! We would go out on missions, almost get killed every time, but I never felt so alive in my life! And then, after I think it was our third and fourth mission…we got a hotel in Mantle to hide out in. And that’s where…my first time.”

Yang nodded, remembering her first time. The fumbling, the constant checking of the door to see if the boy’s parents were home, the sudden, awkward nudity, the inept grabbing and squeezing, and finally the odd feeling of having another person inside of her. The boy hadn’t lasted long, and Yang hadn’t gotten to orgasm, though she pretended like she had. It had still felt good, though; even with the pain of losing her virginity, she’d enjoyed the experience. But until Blake, her other partners were either her fingers or her vibrator. “How was it?” She couldn’t help but ask.

Blake smiled slowly. “You know, it was great. I’ve always been told these stories about your first time never being any good, or that you won’t…come your first time. I did, though. Oh gods, did I come. Adam knew the right places. Even though he was so nervous.” Blake shook her head. In the field, Adam Taurus was the consummate professional, a killer, ruthless and deadly. But that night, he’d tripped over his own pants, fallen off the bed, and ejaculated the moment she’d touched his penis. But once they’d gotten over their shyness, and the awkwardness, when she’d removed his mask because she wanted to see Adam for who he was: the scarred young man, unsure of himself, afraid she would think he was merely trying to get leverage over the heiress to the Belladonnas. To make up for his mistake, he’d loved Blake with fingers and lips. He’d suckled on her nipples and on her clitoris, the latter of which had her yowling at the ceiling. And then, when he was ready again, the sweet, gentle lovemaking. It hadn’t hurt. It had been wonderful. 

Blake sighed again. “After that…well, you know how it is, when you discover something you love for the first time. Any chance we got, we did it. He sneaked into my house one night and we did it in my bed; if Daddy had caught him, he would’ve ripped Adam’s head off with his bare hands. We even did it in a Schnee mine, once.” It had been during a raid, when they’d suddenly had ten spare minutes. Both of them flushed from the heat of battle. Both of them elated with victory, their biggest score yet. And next thing they knew, they were pressed into a corner of the cold mine, Blake with her pants down around her knees, Adam’s around his ankles, underwear pulled aside just enough for him to penetrate her, tongues intertwined, the mad rush to get it done, the sheer danger turning her on enough that she was screaming by the end of it. 

“So what happened? He sounds pretty damn good to me. I’m jealous.”

“Don’t be,” Blake answered her. “The problem was, Yang, Adam…I think he forgot what we were doing all the raids and attacks for. He started taking more chances. Always going for bigger targets.”

“Adrenaline junkie,” Yang said. She knew the feeling, all too well.

“Not just that. Bigger targets meant tougher defenses. Tougher defenses meant we lost more people. And that meant we had to launch revenge attacks. Kill more humans. Which in turn meant more people after us. Which meant more killing, and so on.” Blake hit a fist on the ground. “I think he forgot we were fighting to free Faunus, not kill humans. Granted, Sienna encourages him. And I think Adam’s gotten addicted to not just the adrenaline rush, but killing people.”

“Dad killed someone, once.” Yang’s voice was suddenly quiet, her normal joking matter gone. “He told me about it. The guy was trying to mug Mom, of all people, when we were in Vale. She was pregnant with Ruby; I was like three or something. He attacked her. Mom could’ve easily handled the guy, but Dad got so pissed, he punched the guy. Full force. Snapped his neck.” Yang raised her fists. “Dad’s Semblance is like mine; he can actually punch a Grimm to death. Imagine him hitting a human being.”

Blake covered her mouth in shock. “What happened? Did the police arrest him?”

“Nah, they said it was self-defense. But it bugged Dad. Still does. I threatened to kill a kid at school back when I was ten, and boy oh boy, did Dad chew my ass. He said that to take a human—or Faunus—life was to end whatever person that person might ever be.” Yang looked at her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. So your ex is kill crazy.”

Blake nodded sadly. “I think he is. He didn’t used to be, Yang, honest. But he changed. I didn’t want to see it, but he changed. And then on our last mission, when we were robbing the Schnees of Dust, it wasn’t enough. He wanted to kill everyone on the train. And that’s when I finally saw what he was. He wasn’t the cute guy who cried over his friends. Not anymore. He was the man in the mask. Adam _destroyed_ the guy I fell in love with.”

“And if he gets close to you…” Yang smacked her fist into her hand “…we’ll destroy _him_.”

“Don’t. He’s deadly, Yang.” 

Yang let it go, seeing the fear on Blake’s face. “Okay, okay.”

“Anyhow…” Blake let out a breath. “That’s my big secret. Besides these.” She tugged on a cat ear. “And now we’d better get some breakfast, if there’s any left.”

Yang pulled her to her feet. Then, without warning, she kissed Blake. It was neither a friendly peck or a devouring kiss, but one that was heartfelt. Blake turned red. “What was that for?” she whispered.

“You needed it,” Yang answered. She hugged Blake. “Look, Blakey. I don’t know if I want to be lovers with you. You’re hot as hell, and don’t talk about this Adam dude— _you_ can do some things with that cat tongue of yours. But maybe that wouldn’t be right for us. Up to you on that one. But I do know…I want you to be my friend. Always.”

Blake kissed Yang’s forehead. “I will be, Yang. We’ll see about the lovers thing. I don’t know if that’s what I want either. But I definitely want to be your friend too.”

“Awww. So cute.” Yang rubbed one of Blake’s ears, and she flinched. “Ha! Gotcha.” Then she slapped Blake’s rear. “Tag!” Sticking her tongue out, Yang dashed into the woods.

“One thing for sure,” Blake said quietly. “It’s not going to be dull with _her_ around.” Then she ran after Yang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I do love me some Bumblebee shipping, it's not something I think Blake and Yang just would jump into--especially not this early in their friendship. Yeah, they hooked up in this story already, but that was mainly due to Salem. While they might be more sure of themselves by the time they reach Atlas (which was what kicked off my "One Night in Atlas" series), at this point, they're still figuring things out. And I won't guarantee that Blake and Yang end up with each other in this story. 
> 
> So far as Adam goes, I borrowed some of this from the DC Comics RWBY series, and a conversation similar to this happened in my "On RWBY Wings" story (so if you're read both stories, it might be a little repetitious, though I tried not to copy too much). My opinion on Adam is this: he's an example of someone who started out with good intentions, maybe as a good man, but let hate, adrenaline rush of fighting, and bloodlust get the better of him. There's plenty of examples throughout real history of this happening. I do wish RT would've have given him more background (and how much Sienna Khan's fanaticism might have affected him), but I (personally) think that, by the time we first meet him, whatever Blake fell in love with in regards to Adam Taurus was gone, destroyed by Adam himself.


	21. Give Peace a Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salem makes the announcement to her faction: she will have peace with Ozpin. Who will accept the peace, and who won't? And what are Salem's plans? She's not going to sit around in that castle for 13 years...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter for the Bad Guys. And Girls.

_Salem’s Castle_

_Somewhere On the World of Remnant_

_The Same Day_

Salem paused outside the doors to the throne room and stifled a giggle. This was going to be fun. Just because she was playing nice didn’t mean she had to be good.

Then she opened them and strode into the hallway. Sitting at the table was Hazel, Watts and Tyrian. They all stood as she walked in, and their jaws dropped at how she was dressed: rather than her hair done up in her braids and wearing her black cloak, Salem still had her hair down. As for how she was dressed, she was still barefooted, but wore cargo shorts, a flower shirt, and sunglasses down on her nose. “Good afternoon,” she greeted them, and breezed past to her throne. They sat when she did, but they couldn’t stop staring. “What is it?” she asked, guilelessly.

“Madam,” Watts began, “the…your outfit.”

Salem put her feet up on the table and leaned back on her throne. “I’ve decided to make some changes around here. I, for one, am tired of living in darkness all the damn time. And while I’m not terribly enthusiastic about sunlight, I think constantly dressing in black and draping everything in darkness contributes to my depression. So, I’m not going to stand for it any longer.” She waved a hand, and the torches blazed higher, lighting up the room more. 

“But…your outfit.” Watts gave a small smile. “I take it, then, you enjoyed your vacation.”

“I did, Doctor. Very much.” 

Hazel folded his powerful arms across his broad chest. “Good,” he rumbled. “Now we can get down to business.”

Salem inspected her fingernails. “Yes, about that.” She sat up and leaned forward. “I made a side trip to Patch, where I met with Ozpin.”

Hazel’s eyebrows rose. “You killed him?”

She laughed a little. “Well…oh my, this is awkward.” Salem spread her hands. “Actually, I signed a peace treaty with him. For 13 years.”

“You did _what?”_ Hazel’s voice actually dropped, which was a sign of an imminent explosion. “You made _peace_ with Ozpin?”

“I did. For 13 years, anyway.”

“In the name of the gods, why?” Watts asked. Tyrian was looking between them, unsure of who to support or what to do.

“Because, Doctor Watts, I am tired. I am tired of this stupid war, this stupid ruined castle, the stupid Grimm, the stupid gods, and the stupid futility of the whole stupid thing. So I’m going to give peace a chance. If it doesn’t bore me to tears and actually makes me feel decent for a change, then maybe we’ll make the peace a permanent one. If not, we can always start the war again.”

Hazel jumped to his feet and brought both fists down on the table. Watts jumped and even Tyrian fell back, tail lashing, but Salem just regarded him calmly. She’d expected this. “And you’re just going to let the man who murdered my sister _go?_ I only joined your cause in revenge for her, Salem!” He’d never used her name before.

“And I only started this war in revenge for my children, Hazel. And I’ve come to the realization that I’ve thrown away millennia over something I can never get back.” She folded her hands in front of her. “Or did you think killing Ozpin was going to bring back Gretchen?”

“I don’t believe this!” he shouted. “What did he do to you? What spell did he use on you?”

She laughed derisively. “Ozpin isn’t even in my realm when it comes to magic, Hazel. As for what he did, he did nothing. There were others, and perhaps they finally made me realize something.” 

“They’ve duped you!”

Salem just smiled at him. “No, Hazel. I told you: I’m tired, and I’m bored. So I’m going to try something new. Maybe you should as well.”

Hazel balled his fists. “Damn you, witch! You’ve ruined everything!”

She decided enough was enough. “Tyrian,” Salem said calmly, “the next time Hazel opens his mouth, kill him.”

Tyrian was instantly on the table, tail poised to strike, a demented smile on his face. “Yes, my Queen!” Hazel turned, staring at the Faunus.

“Make your peace with it,” Salem snapped. “Or leave. I won’t stop you. You know the way back to the realms of men. If you choose to take it up with Ozpin, I won’t stop you from doing that, either. But if you break this peace, Hazel, there will not be enough of you left to bury with a thimble. Do you understand? Hold, Tyrian; let him answer.”

Tyrian looked disappointed, but remained in place. Hazel stepped back. “Yes. I will leave. But I will not forget.”

The scorpion Faunus tensed for the order to attack, but Salem waved her hands, and the doors opened. “I understand. Believe it or not, Hazel, I understand, probably better than I ever did when I recruited you. And that’s why I’m doing this. But know something.” She looked up at him, her face placid. “It’s not Tyrian you should be afraid of. It’s me.” She inclined her head towards the door. Hazel met her look for a moment, then shook his head and left, closing the doors behind him.

She leaned back in the chair again. “Now that we’ve gotten past that disagreeable business, what are your plans, Doctor?” Salem could tell that, in his own way, he was just as angry as Hazel. Arthur Watts had joined her faction also for revenge, but where Hazel had a somewhat understandable hatred for Ozpin—Gretchen had died during training at Beacon—Watts merely wanted revenge for a slight at the hands of Atlas’ military. His impressive mecha designs had been passed over in favor of Dr. Polendina’s Penny project, and now Watts wanted to get back at the entirety of Atlas for the snub. Salem could understand Hazel’s anger, but even when she’d recruited Watts, she thought him petty. 

“I don’t know,” he said with bitterness. “What can I do with peace?”

“You still want revenge against Polendina?”

Watts nodded. “I do.”

She thought about telling him the same thing she’d told Hazel. Salem knew that Hazel would journey to Beacon, confront Ozpin, and probably get beaten by Beacon Academy’s student body. He would probably die, but the peace would be preserved. However, if Watts attacked Atlas, and he was far more dangerous than Hazel in that regard, it might breach the peace. “Too bad,” she said. “Of course, you have…other options.”

“Such as?”

“I don’t know. You’re a genius. You mean to tell me you haven’t thought of what you might do after you revenged yourself on Atlas? I know you weren’t planning on ruling the place.”

Watts smoothed his mustache. “Well, no. Far too much trouble.”

“Then invent something. The longer lasting lightbulb. A better Grimm trap. Think of something.”

He sighed. “I suppose the threat you made against Hazel applies to me, too.”

“Yep.”

“Then I will be accompanying Hazel.” He started to get up, but Salem put a hand up. “Before you leave, Doctor, I thought you might help me with something.”

“Such as?”

“A business venture. For which you will be handsomely rewarded.” She smiled. “After all, if you _do_ decide to invent something, you’ll need some capital first, yes?” Though she’d never had much of a chance to apply it, Salem did know economics. She had been _extremely_ bored when she began her study of it, but now it seemed it might pay off. 

He leaned against the table, and a smile of his own appeared beneath the mustache. “I’m listening.”

“What about me?” Tyrian asked. He also looked a bit disappointed, like a dog that hadn’t gotten his daily treat.

Salem had thought about Tyrian on her way to the throne room. Probably the most direct approach would be to simply kill him. He was a psychotic, insane, a serial killer she’d set loose because she needed a shotgun she could point in the general direction of things that annoyed her. He also worshiped her as something of an avatar of death, which he was obsessed with. 

But she’d come up with a better idea than killing him. She nodded to him. “I have plans for you, Tyrian. Never fear.” He clapped his hands in happiness; his Queen still cared for him.

Salem turned back to Watts. “We’ll discuss my business venture, Doctor. But first…may I see your Scroll?”

“What? Oh…certainly.” He took it out of his pocket and slid it over to her. 

She opened it, but couldn’t remember exactly how it worked; Summer had made the call for her, and the Scroll had been Ruby’s in any case. She pressed a few buttons, but instead of the phone coming up, she opened a camera app and Watts’ game of solitaire he’d been playing. “Um…help?”

Watts and Tyrian both came over to her, ending up on opposite sides of the chair. They had to lean close for a moment to look to see what she’d done, enough that she felt their breath on her neck. For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to have a threesome with both of them. She hadn’t had one of _those_ in a long time. Then Salem mentally shook herself: Watts might be all right, but Tyrian? He was likely to sting her in the middle of sex. _By the gods,_ Salem wondered silently, _I thought Sun Wukong proved how hard up I was, but this is something else. That’s disgusting, Salem. You’re evil, not gross._

“What are you trying to do?” Watts asked.

“Just make a phone call.”

“Oh, my Queen, that’s easy.” Tyrian reached forward, closed the two open apps, and opened the phone app. “See?”

“Oh! Yes, that makes sense. Now how do I make a call?”

_Vale City, Southwest Side_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_One Minute and One Misopened App Later_

Among the criminal underground of Vale, which was more extensive than the good burghers of the city liked to admit, Roman Torchwick’s love of cigars was legendary. He always smoked them, and always had to have the most expensive available. In fact, the other crime lords joked, Roman even smoked them during sex. That was actually not true. Neo Politan had demanded he stop smoking them after one pillow fire and the one time he had breathed cigar smoke into her face. After being chased by an enraged (and naked) Neo wielding her umbrella, Roman had agreed not to smoke them while he and Neo were engaged, as it were.

And at the moment, they _were_ engaged. He was leaning back against the pillows while Neo rode him slowly. This was their favorite game together, what Roman laughingly called the Chicken or the Egg: which one would come first. If it was Neo, she would just rest a little and keep going. If it was Roman, well, he would show her that his mouth was good for something besides smoking cigars.

Though Neo was mute, she could still hum, and that was what she was doing as she gently met his thrusts with some of her own. “Mmmm…”

“Are you liking that?” he whispered. She nodded, and cupped her small breasts. Roman knew her well enough to know what she wanted, and he reached up and caressed her hard nipples. Also contrary to popular belief, Neo’s nipples were not heterochromatic like her eyes: they were the same shade as the pink in her hair. 

His Scroll began to ring. Neo stopped and shook her head vehemently. Roman took away one of his hands from her breasts and picked up the Scroll from where it lay on the bed. To his surprise, it was Arthur Watts. “He’ll call back,” Roman stated, and put the Scroll back, turning it upside down. Neo threw him a thumbs up and resumed her slow ride. 

About five minutes later, as Neo’s humming began to become gasps and her slow riding became a gallop, the door burst open to admit Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. They had been visiting Roman’s hideout from Beacon Academy to coordinate their plot. “Roman!” Mercury shouted, then realized what they were doing. “Oh shit. Sorry.”

“Maybe now’s not a good time,” Emerald said. She stared at them for a second, then looked away, blushing.

Neo turned a murderous glare on them, but Roman sighed. “Well, you’re here now. What is it?”

“Did you get a call from Watts?”

“I didn’t answer it.” He motioned at himself and Neo. “As you can see, we’re busy.” Defiantly, Neo snorted at Mercury and Emerald and kept going.

“Er…” Mercury turned to one side. “Well…”

“Spit it out!” Roman exclaimed. He was actually getting a kick out their embarrassment. If they were going to interrupt him, he was going to make them uncomfortable. 

“Watts said that the plan’s off. Salem made a peace treaty with Ozpin!”

That _did_ cause Neo to stop. Both of them looked at Mercury, and Neo signed _You’re shitting me._ Roman translated for them. 

“Not shitting you,” Emerald answered. “She said she’s sick and tired of all the fighting, so she signed a 13-year peace with Ozpin. We’re not going after the Fall Maiden or anything.”

“And when we asked what we should do,” Mercury yelled, “she just said that she doesn’t care! Then she hung up!” He kicked at the wall, leaving a hole. “Dammit! I don’t believe this!”

Roman gave it some thought. This was actually not a disaster. He’d never really been sure of the whole plot to seize the power of this Fall Maiden; he’d always felt a little over his head, messing with powers he didn’t understand. At heart, Roman was a thief. He was perfectly satisfied making fools of the Vale police, robbing Dust stores, and occasionally making bigger scores. No, this wasn’t a disaster at all. It was an opportunity. He felt himself getting soft inside Neo, so he gave her a few thrusts to get her attention, and his, back on important matters. Neo smiled down at him and resumed. “So much for that,” Roman said, a bit breathlessly. “So what are you…ergh…going to do?”

“No idea,” Emerald said sadly. This would devastate Cinder. Emerald loved Cinder in her own way, for rescuing her from a life on the street, but she knew Cinder Fall only loved power. 

“Well…I understand you’re a thief, Emerald…and you, Merc, are an enforcer of sorts. I have some openings in my organization.” He smiled past Neo towards them. “Want a job?” _Do you want one?_ Neo signed mischieviously, and made an up-and-down motion with her left hand towards her mouth. When neither Emerald nor Mercury answered—mainly because they were trying to look everywhere but what was happening on the bed—Roman shrugged. “Give it some thought. Now, if you’ll excuse us…”

“Yeah…right.” They left the room, shutting the door. 

Neo started to sign _You should ditch them,_ but Roman interrupted her by increasing the force behind his thrusts. “We’ll talk about it later,” Roman said. “Now put your back into it, my dear.”

Emerald sighed as they walked down the corridor. After the losses of the Dust raid on the docks, Torchwick’s hideout was mostly empty; the White Fang were at the warehouse a few blocks away. She wondered how _they_ were going to take the news. Of course, Sienna Khan had never considered herself under orders from Salem, merely fellow travelers. “What do you think?” she asked Mercury.

“I think Roman’s an asshole, doing that shit right in front of us,” he answered. “Freak.”

“No, about his offer?” Emerald said. “I mean, he’s right. I’m a thief, and you beat up people. It’s better than being on the street.”

Mercury stopped. “I suppose it’s not a bad idea,” he said at length. “We might be pretty good at it. And the Vale cops are stupid. ‘Course, there’s still the students at Beacon.”

“We can still maintain our cover there,” Emerald told him. “Students by day, thieves by night. Heck, we might even get some training out of it—at Beacon’s expense.”

“The more I think about it, the more I like it. Hell…we could eventually form our own gang.” He smiled at her. “Got nothing better to do.”

“Actually, that’s not right.” Emerald reached up and pulled down her shirt. Her small, tanned breasts were barely contained by it in any case, and her nipples looked like pencil erasers. “You’ve got me to do.”

Mercury gulped. “Hey, Emerald…you know…we just hooked up because of that Lust Wave. It wasn’t any…uh…” His voice trailed off as she stepped closer to him, and licked her lips very suggestively. “You think that Roman prick has another room somewhere?”

“There’s a hotel down the street.”

“I don’t have any lien?”

“Since when has that been a problem for me?” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. 

“What about Cinder?” he murmured through the kiss.

“We’ll worry about her…later.” She licked his lips. “Watching Roman and Neo banging has gotten me in the mood, and I need you using those metal legs of yours to jackhammer me something wicked.”

“Yeah,” Mercury breathed. “Screw Cinder.”

"Only if she asks nicely."

About twenty miles away, Cinder Fall stood in her dorm room, facing the courtyard of Beacon Academy. In her right hand was loosely held her Scroll. She’d just finished speaking with Salem. Cinder had taken the news calmly, knowing that the last thing she needed, especially now, was to attract attention—much less Salem’s wrath.

The Scroll popped. Sparks shot from its casing, and then the screen flickered and died as the Scroll slowly melted and fell to the floor. Cinder’s fists clenched.

“To hell with your peace,” she snarled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something tells me that, by this time in the series (roughly towards the end of Season 2), Roman has realized he made a poor life choice by throwing in with Salem and the White Fang. I think he would see an opportunity to just go back to thieving as a good thing. 
> 
> But Cinder is not quitting...and that's bad news for Amber. And Pyrrha.


	22. High Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While nefarious plans are plotted at Beacon, Team RWBY, Tai and Summer start enjoying their break again. Ruby wants to camp out, Weiss wants to paint some nails, Blake wants to read, and Yang wants to play Have You Ever. It's time for some fun.
> 
> Oh yes, and Tai and Summer are alone for the night. I'm sure they'll think of something to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to keep to my "update every two nights" schedule, but the muse decided to strike (she can be a bit crafty), so I decided to write something cute and fluffy. It doesn't need to be all dark and dreary, does it? 
> 
> Besides, you guys didn't review my last chapter. I haz a sad.

_The House of Taiyang and Summer_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_About the Same Time, Late in the Day_

The day had passed lazily. With no world-destroying witches or lust waves to deal with, Team RWBY finally just had some time to relax. Yang and Ruby enjoyed some family time with Summer and Tai, helping them around the house and the yard, while Weiss walked Zwei around the forest, and Blake read. (Since _Ninjas of Love_ now brought up a few not so pleasant memories, Blake chose something from Tai’s extensive library. She was finding _The Guns of Atlas_ to be surprisingly good reading.) Then it was dinner time, and dessert: Summer had taken the time to flex her culinary muscles, and turned out a cheesecake that had them all bloating satisfactorily.

Ruby’s stomach felt so full she wondered if this is what it was like to be pregnant. Which, weirdly, reminded her of something she’d wanted to do since the moment Team RWBY had reunited at her parents’ house. “Say, Mom,” she began.

Summer lay with her head on Tai’s lap. “Uh oh. I haven’t been gone so long as to not recognize when you’re about to ask me for something, Ruby.’

“I was thinking,” Ruby said, ignoring her mother, “could we put up the tent in the backyard? I think it would be fun to camp out.”

“Just yourself?” Weiss asked.

“No, silly. All of us. Team RWBY, anyway.” Ruby grinned. “It’ll be a team-building exercise. The tent’s pretty big.”

Tai nodded. He was liking this idea. Having the house to Summer and himself for the first time since she returned was very, very tempting. “It’s Vale military surplus. It’ll hold six people.”

Yang caught the look between her parents. “Hell yeah! That sounds super awesome, Rubes.”

Weiss looked pained. “Sleeping outside?”

Blake had caught on. Ruby might not have intended to give her parents some alone time, but it was turning out that way. “Oh, come on, Weiss. You can’t tell me you’ve never wanted to sleep under the stars.”

“Not particularly.”

Yang cracked her knuckles. “Don’t make us _force_ you.”

Weiss beckoned Yang forward in a ‘come on and try it’ gesture. “Though as huge as I feel right now, I doubt I could resist,” she sighed. “Oh, all right. The things I do for the team.”

“Come on, Weiss!” Ruby exclaimed. “We had fun in the tent in my room the other night.” Yang coughed and cleared her throat. “Water went down the wrong way,” she lied, then got up. “Is it still in the same place in the garage?”

They all struggled to their feet and limped out to the garage. It was up on one of the shelves, but intact and only had one spider crawl out from under it; Weiss screamed and Yang stomped it into oblivion. The tent was then dragged into the back yard, and after much swearing and sweating by Tai and Yang, it was set up—it didn’t come with instructions, and it had been awhile since Tai had set it up. Team RWBY went inside: it would be pretty cozy for six people, but for four, it was nice. Summer and Ruby gathered the bedding, and, as the sun set beautifully over the distant mountains, the girls set up shop. Zwei inspected the tent, found it adequate, and snuggled down uncomfortably close to Blake’s bedroll. 

“We’ll leave the front door unlocked if you girls need anything from the kitchen,” Summer told them. “We’ll be upstairs. Good night.”

“Good night?” Ruby asked. “But it’s not even nine o’clock yet, and…ohhh.” She finally got it. Summer winked, went inside, and closed the door behind her.

Tai was putting the dirty dishes in the sink. Summer came up behind him, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his ear. “We’re alone,” she whispered.

“Just let me wash the dishes. You go and—“

Summer grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. “To hell with the dishes. They can wait.” She began unbuttoning her blouse. “I can’t.”

Tai put his arms around her. “Well, now. In that case, what would you like to do first?”

She kissed him, a quick peck that promised a lot more. “I think we’ve gotten all dirty, Tai. We should wash off. Hygiene’s important, you know.”

Weiss lay back in her bedroll. The ground was not as hard as she’d thought it would be. It was actually comfortable, though she certainly preferred a bed. “This isn’t too bad,” she mused.

“Told ya.” Yang was sitting up, scratching a contented Zwei behind the ears. 

“So, what should we do first?” Ruby asked. “Paint our nails, tell ghost stories, play a game, what?”

“Let’s play the quiet game,” Blake offered. She was back to reading _The Guns of Atlas._

“Booooring,” Yang said, as Ruby stuck out her tongue. “Let’s play a _real_ game.” She patted her Scroll. “I will kick _all_ your asses at _Super Murder Death Kill 666._ ”

Weiss examined her fingernails. “I could paint some nails.” She patted her overnight case. “It just so happens I brought my stuff.”

“Of course you did.” Blake sighed, knowing it would be impolite if she kept reading while her friends wanted to do something. Reluctantly, she put the book aside. “I’d be up for a game, but not a Scroll game. C’mon, Yang—put away the electronics. We’re outdoors; let’s enjoy it.”

“Bah!” Yang replied, but set aside the Scroll.

Ruby nodded. “I’m okay with games too, but I think it would be cool to paint my nails.”

“We could do both.” Weiss opened her case, and withdrew bright red nail polish. “I think this will suit you.”

Ruby took off her boots and socks. “Yay! I get to paint my nails with Weiss finally!”

Weiss chuckled, remembering their first days at Beacon. “I suppose we could talk about cute boys. Does anyone know any?” Blake shot Yang a warning look; Yang gave a minute shake of her head. That was Blake’s secret to keep.

“Have You Ever,” Yang offered.

“Ohh, no,” Blake said.

“Ohh, _yes!_ ” Ruby exulted. 

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Sure, why not. I’ll start.” She tore a cotton ball into smaller hunks, and carefully placed them between Ruby’s toes. “And Yang, since you came up with the idea, you answer. Have you ever…had a crush on someone?”

“Oh ho,” Yang grinned. “Weiss comes out swinging!” She leaned back against her bedroll. “Yes.” Yang glanced at Blake, and for a horrible moment, the Faunus thought Yang was going to say it was her. “Shaun Cena. Ye gods, those pecs! Makes even Sun look bad. I wanted him _so_ much at Signal. I’d still have his babies.”

“Totally understandable,” Blake replied. She was already barefoot, and began looking through Weiss’ nail polish. There was a black color, but that was too cliché, so she chose a purple one. 

“My turn,” Yang continued. “Blake! Have you ever…” Yang thought for a moment, and Blake’s ears went back involuntarily. “…sung in the shower?”

Relieved, Blake laughed. “Yes. Many times. I’m not good at it.” They all nodded at that; they’d heard Blake’s singing voice. She might be a teenage ninja Faunus, but she was a tone deaf teenage ninja Faunus. “Ruby. Let’s see…have you ever…lied about your age to get into somewhere?”

Ruby nodded, watching Weiss carefully apply the polish. “Totally. Yang and I both did.”

“You’re not supposed to drag me into this!” Yang protested.

She stuck her tongue out at her sister. “We lied to watch that _Lost In the Woods_ movie in Patch City. It was 18 or older. We went to see _Little Bunny Foo Foo_ and ducked into the other theater.”

Yang snorted. “Oh, I remember that. When the Grimm ate that dude, Ruby puked.”

“I did not!” 

Weiss grabbed Ruby’s ankle. “Don’t move your foot! Keep it going. Ask me something.”

“Okay.” Ruby grinned malevolently at Weiss. “Have you ever gone commando, Weiss?”

“What’s that?”

Yang jammed her fists on her hips in mock anger. “Ruby Rose! How dare you ask such a question?” Then she looked at Weiss. “It means gone without underwear. And have you?”

Weiss chuckled. “In what I usually wear? I imagine all of Beacon’s seen my underwear by now with my combat skirt. That would be a very stupid idea, so no.” She finished one foot. Ruby wiggled her toes and nodded in satisfaction. “Very well, since we’re getting naughty…Yang. Have you ever slept naked?”

Yang rolled her eyes. “All the time. You guys haven’t noticed? Hell, I slept naked the other night.” Then she looked away, because she remembered what _else_ had happened the other night. Quickly, she asked her battle partner, “So, Blakey. Have you ever gone skinny dipping?”

Blake didn’t even stop painting her nails. “As a matter of fact, I have.” Then she looked up. “Not as sexy as it sounds, though. I went skinny dipping with my mom.”

“Ew,” Weiss said.

“Perfectly reasonable explanation. We both like fish, and we saw some big tuna swimming in the shallows one time on the beach…oh, I guess I was about 14 or so. So Mom just strips naked and jumps in. And you guys know how I love tuna, so…I jumped in too.” She flexed her toes, liking how the purple caught the dim light. “Again, not really sexy. So, Ruby.” Blake had to think a moment: Ruby was still pretty innocent, and she didn’t want to ask anything too embarrassing. Then again, Ruby _had_ started asking the more intimate questions. “Have you ever been kissed?”

Ruby and Weiss both stopped and blushed. “Um…yes,” Ruby said quietly.

Yang immediately locked onto Ruby like a heat-seeking missile. “Say what?”

“I’ve been kissed.”

“Who?” Yang asked, Overprotective Big Sister in her voice.

“…Weiss?” Ruby said at length. 

“Oh?” Yang’s eyebrows went up. 

Weiss sighed. “Yesterday morning. Before Salem showed up.”

“Oh.”

“I have an idea,” Ruby said into the silence. “Let’s maybe play a different game.” 

“Sure,” Blake, Weiss and Yang answered at the same time. It was starting to get a bit weird.

“Now this,” Summer said contentedly, “this is the life.” She lay up to her neck in sudsy water, leaning against the broad chest of Tai, her hands on the sides of the tub. It really wasn’t big enough for two, but they made do. 

“I don’t remember if we’ve ever done this,” Tai answered. “I know we’ve showered together a lot, but never took a bath together.”

“Never had time. I guess there are advantages to having the kids almost grown now.” She smiled back at him, slyly. “Tai, did you sneak a roll of coins into the tub, or are you just happy to see me?”

Tai kissed her nose. He was hard as algebra. Having Summer’s rather cute tush up against his groin had a way of doing that. “Like you didn’t plan this.”

“I don’t think we’d better make love in the tub. Seems dangerous.”

“Fair enough.” He reached over, grabbed the strawberry-scented shampoo, poured some in his hand, and began shampooing her hair. She smiled and closed her eyes. “Mmm…Tai, you can just keep doing that for the rest of my life.”

“I intend to.” His fingers worked into her scalp until she was groaning with pleasure. “Now let me rinse you off.” And Tai grabbed Summer and shoved her under the water. She came up spluttering. “Asshole!” she yelled as he laughed. 

“Gotcha.”

Summer rolled over like an otter. “Well. So that’s how it is.” She took a deep breath and sank back down, only the crown of her reddish hair above water. Tai wondered what she was doing until he felt her kiss the tip of his erection, which caused him to twitch involuntarily. Then she came back up. “That idea sounded better in my head. You sort of need air to give a blowjob.”

“I feel clean and dirty at the same time,” Tai announced. “Shall we get out and repair to the marital bed?”

“Sounds good before you try and drown me again.” Summer rolled out of the tub like a frogman, then nimbly rolled to her feet. Tai hit the drain with his feet and got out. They dried each other off, laughing and giggling, with Summer paying entirely too much attention to certain parts of Tai’s anatomy. He then swung her up in his arms and carried her out of the bathroom, down one door, and into their bedroom, gently depositing her on the bed. He looked down at her: the petite body, small but perky breasts, the muscled legs, the little tangle of hair between them—all of those were beautiful to Tai, but they paled in comparison to the heart-shaped face, framed in still damp hair, and the silver eyes filled with desire for him. “Gods, I missed you so much,” he said.

“Ah ah!” Summer held up a finger. “Don’t you dare start getting all misty-eyed, buster! Don’t you dare.” She used her toes to massage his erection, though she missed her target and her heel almost grazed his testicles before he quickly turned to one side. “Tonight I want to laugh and have some good old clean fun.”

Tai grinned down at her, hands on hips. “ _Clean_ fun?”

Summer shrugged. “Well, you can be on top.”

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this, Weiss,” Yang said. “Ruby, don’t you _dare_ put this on your Scroll!”

“Aww!” Ruby complained. “But you look so cute, Yang!”

“Uggh.”

“You do, though,” Blake agreed. 

Yang folded her arms. Weiss was braiding her hair, and the way she was going about it, Yang was going to end up with nearly the same hairstyle as the heiress: falling to one side of her face, but braided instead of free. “You’re next, Blake.”

“Fine with me. I’ve actually been curious what I’d look like with braided hair.” She reached up and ran her fingers through it. “It’s a pain to keep clean, though. Maybe I should cut it short, like Ruby.”

“Fuck that,” Yang said. “You’d look stupid.”

“Language!” Weiss said.

Yang made a scoffing noise. “Fuck language! Fuck this braid! Fuck! Fuckity fuck fuck!” She looked back at Weiss. “I bet Weiss has never said a cuss word.”

“Of course I have.”

“Dare you to say one, Weissy.”

Weiss tightened the braid and Yang winced. “I will not.”

“Ah, come on. Cut loose, Weiss. You know you want to.”

“I shall not be so crude.”

“I will if you do!” Ruby offered.

Weiss shook her head. “That’s hardly a fair trade. I’ve heard you say some positively disgusting things while working on Crescent Rose.”

Yang inspected her braid in the mirror. “All right, Weiss. I tell you what. If you say four cuss words—just four in a row—I will do one thing in return. You can ask me to do anything. I’ll eat Blake’s ribbon. I’ll punch out my sister—“

“Wait, _what?”_ Ruby yelled.

“Anything,” Yang finished.

“All right.” Weiss left off Yang’s braid—it was something of a losing contest, with all that hair—and took a deep breath. “Fuck, shit, bitch, motherfucker.”

The tent erupted in laughter. “I don’t know,” Blake snickered. “Does bitch even count? It’s not even much of a cuss word these days.”

“And she said fuck twice,” Ruby added, then blushed when she realized what she’d just said. 

“Nah, that counts,” Yang told them. “Not bad, Weiss. The motherfucker was a nice touch.” She stood up, and the braid instantly began unraveling. She bowed to her. “What do you want me to do, milady? Massage your shoulders? Fetch you a glass of water?”

“Go skinny dipping.”

The tent went silent for a moment. “What?” Blake sputtered.

Weiss smirked. “Go skinny dipping. There’s a beach nearby; I saw it while I was walking Zwei.” The dog was asleep, having long since found the humans’ conversation boring. 

Yang smirked back. “Weiss, if you want to see me naked _that_ bad—“

“I’ve seen you naked, at the gym. _And_ in the dorm room, you shameless. No, I just want to see if you’ve got the courage to do it.” Inside, Weiss was laughing. That water was going to be cold, and watching Yang come howling out of the water buck naked would be hilarious—and serve her right for all the practical jokes she’d played on Weiss over the past few months.

“Oh, a challenge, huh?” Yang pointed at her. “And you did say some cuss words. Okay. Let’s go.”

Blake stood up. “You’re seriously going to do this? At this time of night?”

“Yep.” She nudged Zwei awake. “Want to go for a walk, boy?” The corgi leapt up and headed for the entrance. Yang pulled on her boots, threw what remained of her braid over one shoulder, and marched out.

The beach wasn’t much—it was through the woods, just past where Yang had found Blake, and down a narrow, switchback trail. Such as it was, the beach could have barely held eight people, and the soil was mostly black mud. It did face a cove, however, and therefore the tides were gentle, and water Grimm were not likely to swim into the shallows. 

Yang surveyed the beach and inspected the shallows. Ruby had sneaked back into the house and grabbed some towels from the laundry room, doing her best to ignore what sounded like her mother shrieking with laughter. At least, she _hoped_ that was what she was shrieking about. (It was, actually. Tai was tickling her, and Summer was particularly vulnerable under the armpits.) Blake and Weiss stood next to the sisters. They were all dressed in pants and shirts; it was not that cold out for spring. Zwei was occupying himself sniffing and peeing on everything.

“Okay,” Yang said, and pulled off her boots. She shimmied out of her pants, threw off her shirt, and then, after a second’s hesitation, took off her underwear. Then she ran forward and executed a perfect dive into the surf. Weiss waited, but to her surprise, Yang surfaced gently about fifteen feet out. “Hey!” she called out. “This isn’t bad at all!”

Weiss tiptoed to the surf—she really didn’t want to get her boots dirty—knelt, and put a hand in the water. It was surprisingly warm. Not room temperature, but not cold as she’d anticipated. “That’s odd.”

“Not really,” Blake said. “This side of Patch has a warm water current that flows up from Vacuo.”

Weiss stood up. “Yang tricked me.”

Ruby shook her head. “No way. We’ve never gone swimming down here.”

Blake’s ears shot up in alarm. “Why’s that?”

“I dunno. Just never did. Played in the mud, yeah, but never went swimming.”

“Guys, this really isn’t too bad!” Yang was now paddling in the water. “Rubes, why didn’t we try this before?”

“Because there’s a nice chlorinated pool in Patch City?” Ruby shot back.

Blake hesitated, and then said, “Oh, the hell with it.” She kicked off her shoes and pulled off her top.

“What are you _doing?_ ” Weiss shouted.

“Skinny dipping. Duh.” Blake pulled off her pants. “Come on, Weiss. Team building.” She unbuttoned her bra and threw it on top of her other clothes. 

“Getting naked is _not_ team building!” Weiss protested. “This isn’t proper!”

Blake stepped out of her panties, and now nude, faced Weiss. “You always do everything properly, Weiss?” Then she dived into the surf the same way Yang had. 

“But…” Weiss stood at the edge, watching the water lap at her boots. Blake surfaced near Yang and promptly got water thrown at her face. “Ruby—“ To Weiss’ surprise, Ruby’s dress was already on the beach next to her boots, and she was pulling off her T-shirt. “Ruby? What in the hell?”

Ruby smiled. “C’mon, Weiss. Twenty years from now, when we’re all old and gray Huntresses, we’ll look back and laugh about all the weird shit we did as freshmen.” She blushed a little, and edged towards the water. “Don’t make me do it alone, Weiss.”

Weiss closed her eyes. It was not proper. It was stupid. Swimming naked was a bad idea; they didn’t know what might be in the water, and it was just awkward and strange to even think about doing it. It was definitely not something a Schnee would do. Winter would never go skinny dipping.

Then she opened her eyes. “You know something, Ruby? You’re right.” She sat in the mud, getting her dress dirty, but pulled off her own boots and socks. Then she untied her belt, and shucked out of the blouse and skirt. She and Ruby faced each other, in their underwear.

“Take it off! Take it off!” Yang shouted, until Blake splashed her.

Ruby and Weiss blushed, laughed, and both of them did as Yang requested. Now they were completely nude, but it was more funny than anything else. “Race ya!” Ruby yelled, and went into the water in a shower of rose petals. Weiss wasn’t quite willing to dive in, but instead, with the utmost of dignity, marched naked into the surf like a conquering heroine. Once in, she rolled and expertly backstroked to the others, where they were all splashing each other. Then Ruby challenged Yang to a race around the cove, and Blake and Weiss treaded water. “I never thought I would do something like this,” Weiss said.

“Neither did I. Not with you people.” She looked at Weiss. “But it sure is fun having weird friends, isn’t it?”

“Aside from nearly being killed by Salem and being compelled to kiss Ruby, this…has been enjoyable,” Weiss admitted. Then she gasped. 

“What?” Blake asked with concern.

“Something just swam past my legs.” She swallowed nervously. “Oh gods. There it is again. It’s a shark, isn’t it?”

“Not likely.” Blake took a breath and dropped beneath the water. She surfaced a second later. “Okay, hold still. It’s not a shark.” Then she dived down again, and Weiss, nearly frozen with fear, could barely stay afloat. She could feel disturbed water roiling around her legs and other parts she didn’t want to feel disturbed water around, then suddenly Blake shot to the surface ten feet away. Blake laughed and punched a hand in the air, holding a fairly large fish. “Got it!”

Ruby and Yang stopped racing. “Got what?” Yang wanted to know.

“A tuna?” Weiss couldn’t tell; she tended not to see fish in the wild, as it were.

“No, a flounder.” Blake grinned toothily. “But it’s still good eating.” She swam to the beach, walked ashore, skin gleaming in the moonlight, and wrapped the fish in a towel to keep Zwei from getting to it. The corgi, for his part, wanted no part of the water and stayed well clear. “There might be some more around.” She jumped back in the water.

“You want to get out, Weiss?” Ruby swam over to her, a little worried about the alarmed look on Weiss’ face.

But then her expression changed, and Weiss threw water at her friends. “Fuck, no, I don’t want to get out!” She slapped Ruby’s shoulder. “Tag, you’re it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skinny dipping just sounds like something Team RWBY would do at some point.


	23. When the Morning Comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team RWBY gets woken up by Summer, who knows about their skinny-dipping in the cove. They also need to talk about a few other things too, like a trip abroad. 
> 
> Meanwhile, where's Qrow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a "bridge" chapter here, as I move away from Patch and to other places on Remnant. The next chapters will still have some humor, but we will be getting into some more serious stuff...since Cinder isn't giving up on the Fall Maiden, and a certain ex-boyfriend will be entering the picture. Possibly two of them.

_The House of Taiyang and Summer_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_The Next Morning_

“Rise and _shine!”_ The tent flap was thrown aside to admit Summer Rose. All four girls rose, but they didn’t exactly shine. Summer had anticipated this, which was why she was carrying four coffee cups and a pot of coffee. “Good morning, girls!” It was a little after nine o’clock.

“Uggh…” Ruby groaned, and fell back onto her bedroll.

“Go ‘way, Mom,” Yang growled, rolled over, and put her pillow over her head.

“Faunus don’t like sunlight,” Blake insisted, pulling the covers over _her_ head.

“Good morning, Mrs. Xiao Long,” Weiss said, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. 

Summer set down the cups and the pot. “Let me guess. All of you stayed up too late painting your nails and telling ghost stories.”

“Something like that,” Weiss replied, and it was only partially a lie. They _had_ stayed up too late, painted each others’ nails, and there might have been a ghost story or two told--not that ghosts were particularly scary to those who had faced down the Undead Queen of the Grimm. But she was not going to tell Ruby and Yang’s mother that the four of them had gone skinny-dipping for two hours between all of that.

Summer poured each a cup of coffee. What Weiss didn’t know was that, as a mother of two young girls once upon a time, Summer was rather adept at detecting falsehood. “Mm-hmm,” she said, as she handed Weiss a cup. Blake’s hand came out from under the covers and made grabbing notions, but Summer just kept it out of arm’s length. Eventually, the Faunus girl had to get up to get the coffee. “So which one of you wants to tell me why, when I got up an hour ago to fix breakfast, I found six fresh flounder sitting in the freezer.”

Ruby sat up. “Team RWBY,” she said with a sigh, “I think we’ve been busted.”

Blake cradled the coffee in her hands. “It was me—mostly me,” she amended. “We went down to the cove through the woods, and I caught some fish. I think Yang might’ve caught one or two.”

“I caught one too!” Ruby insisted.

Yang finally brought her head out from under the pillow, correctly deducing that she wasn’t getting back to sleep. “Yeah, right,” she said, accepting the last cup from her mother, “you caught some kind of trash fish that we threw back because it was too small. Much like you.”

“Screw you, Yang!” Ruby shot back.

“Don’t start,” Summer warned, and the steel in her voice was enough to cause the daughters to quiet immediately. She folded her arms across her chest. “Was that all you were doing out there?”

Blake shook her head. “No, Mrs. Xiao Long. We went swimming to get the fish.”

“I see. That matches up with Madame Mallari calling Tai this morning and reporting that she saw four teenaged girls skinny dipping last night, laughing and carrying on at about midnight.” Summer was watching all four of them, and the blushes that bloomed like roses confirmed her suspicions. Team RWBY needed to work on their poker faces. 

“You got us, Mom,” Ruby confessed. “That was us. All of us.”

“Ruby Rose!” Summer turned hard silver eyes on her daughter, who wilted under the stare. “You mean to tell me you were stark naked and swimming in the ocean at the wee hours of the morning?” Ruby looked like she wanted to crawl into her coffee cup, but nodded. 

“Mom,” Yang spoke up, “we all did. It was a dare. I did it first, then Blake, and then we all jumped in. It was team building.” The last part sounded particularly lame.

“Ah ha,” Summer said, turning that same stare on her eldest daughter. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Who dared whom?”

Yang met the stare defiantly. “I don’t remember, Mom.”

“Yes, you do.” Then Summer smiled. “But you won’t throw a fellow teammate under the bus. Good.” Her smile grew wider, then she started laughing. “Oh, girls, it’s all right. I’m not angry. I just wanted to see if you would be honest with me. Call it a test for new huntresses.”

“You’re not mad?” Ruby asked.

Summer ruffled her hair. “Not at all. You’re not the first ones to go skinny dipping in that cove. Gives us an excuse to have a fish fry tonight.” Blake tried not to drool as Summer turned to leave the tent. “I’ll let you get cleaned up, and if you’re hungry, we’ve got some eggs and toast cooking.” She paused. “Girls…I hate to ask this, and I’m sorry if I’m being nosy, but…in light of recent events—was skinny dipping and fishing _all_ that happened?” She shrugged. “I hate to ask, but we don’t know if Salem returned to her realm, or she decided to go back on vacation. Madame Mallari didn’t say anything, but…if Salem’s magic is going haywire again…”

“Nothing happened, Mom,” Yang said. “We swam around, threw water on each other, did a little fishing, and then we got out, dried off, and got dressed. We came back here and hung out for awhile, then hit the sack. Besides,” she added, “wouldn’t you and Dad have noticed if it was another magic wave?”

It was Summer’s turn to blush a little. She and Tai had made love for hours, stretching it out, playing silly games in the nude, and generally shutting out the entire world except for each other. In fact, Summer was surprised that neither she nor Tai had thought about the cove; they’d gone skinny dipping themselves down there before, and Tai and Raven had as well. “We didn’t notice it before. Anyway, come inside when you’re ready.” She left the tent before she got caught out herself. 

Yang and Ruby shared a glance, then smothered their giggles. Blake rolled her eyes. “At this rate,” she said softly, “you two are going to have another sibling.”

“Blake, be nice,” Weiss said. “Those two haven’t seen each other in 13 years.”

“That’s true. Sorry,” Blake apologized. She took a good drink of coffee; she preferred tea, but this would do for now. “Who’s Madame Mallari?”

“Old lady that lives down the way,” Yang explained. “She’s kind of a healer these days, but she used to be a Huntress. A Grimm took both of her legs off below the knee, so she has artificial legs.” Yang took a drink and leaned back on the bedroll. “I’d forgotten about her. She likes to take walks in the middle of the night when her back starts acting up and sometimes gets herbs and such. Probably heard us splashing around.” Yang rolled over, though she was still facing her team. “Argh. I can’t believe Mom asked us that. It’s not like we were having an orgy down there or something.” A devilish light entered her eyes. “Though talk about team-building.”

“Yang,” Ruby warned, and Yang remembered Team STRQ, thankfully without the Q, doing some “team building” on the day Summer returned. 

“Just a joke,” Yang insisted.

Weiss blew on her coffee some. She noticed that Summer had not brought any sugar or creamer, probably figuring correctly that Team RWBY needed their caffeine straight up. “Besides,” Weiss sighed, “we already did that.”

Yang looked confused. “Whoa, hold on. Did we have an orgy that I don’t remember? Because if we did, I’m kind of pissed that I don’t remember. And grossed out if my sister was somehow involved.”

Ruby turned a bit green. “Gag.”

“Nothing like that,” Weiss replied. “Just…what we did when Salem’s magic hit us.” She turned to Ruby. “I’m sorry for what I did, Ruby. I wanted to apologize. I guess I was just trying not to think about it, but your mother saying something…I’m truly sorry.”

Ruby put a hand on Weiss’ shoulder. “It’s okay, Weiss! None of us were in control that day.” She turned red and seemed to get smaller. “I mean…I kissed you back…”

Blake took a deep breath, a drink of courage, and decided to bring it into the open. A few weeks before, when she’d revealed that she was a Faunus to Team RWBY, they’d all promised to never keep secrets from each other again. She looked at Yang, who saw where Blake was going, and gave a slow nod. “Yang and I…we went a little further than kissing.”

Weiss whirled on her. “What?”

“Like what?” Ruby asked, seemingly guilelessly. “Like…touching?” She knew exactly what Blake meant, but didn't want to be the first to say it.

“Blake and I had sex,” Yang simply stated.

Weiss would have dropped her coffee out of shock, had Ruby not caught it in midair. “Oh my gods,” she breathed. “You…how?”

Once more, Blake rolled her eyes. “Think about it, Weiss.”

“I’d rather not!”

Ruby took a moment to process this. The mental image of her sister, naked, entertwined with Blake, also naked, popped into her head. Then she shook herself. “Well, okay.” All three of her teammates looked at her in shock. Ruby shrugged. “Weiss, honestly…if Mom hadn’t showed up, you and I would’ve ended up doing the same thing, probably.”

Weiss felt sick to her stomach. She considered herself quite straight, and had never entertained the thought of having sex with another woman. Her occasional idle interest in her teammates’ naked bodies was clinical—for one thing, she was envious of the fact that Blake and Yang were much bigger in the chest department. Now, however, she wondered if she was kidding herself. If Salem’s magic caused them to focus on who they loved the most, and she had focused on Ruby… “Oh…no,” Weiss said slowly.

Blake chuckled. “Before you go questioning your sexuality, Weiss, we were going after whoever was closest. Remember that I tried to jump Ruby and Yang’s dad—and while Taiyang is indeed rather good looking for an older man—“

“Now _that’s_ gross,” Yang observed, sticking out her tongue.

“—he's still their dad, and I went after him. So Ruby was closest. If it had been me or Yang, you would’ve jumped us. Hell, if it had been _Jaune_ , you would’ve jumped _him._ ”

“I suppose so,” Weiss admitted. “Jaune? Eww.” Though privately, Weiss admitted to herself that Jaune wasn’t _that_ bad. 

“Don’t sweat it,” Yang said. “If you’d banged Jaune, Pyrrha would have murdered you by now.”

“Anyway,” Ruby stated, “it happened. It wasn’t our fault. No reason to get all crazy about it.” She nodded at Blake and Yang. “Glad you guys felt okay enough to admit to it.” She raised her coffee mug. “Weiss being my first kiss aside, and Salem showing up…this has been a lot of fun. Skinny dipping and all.”

“Hear hear,” Yang said, finally got out of her bedroll, and clinked mugs with her sister. Blake smiled and did so as well, followed at last by Weiss. As they were taking a drink, Ruby paused. “And I got tongue on my first kiss!” Weiss coughed and spit coffee halfway across the tent. Blake and Yang almost did the same, but burst into laughter.

“You little shit!” Weiss screamed, and Ruby collapsed in mirth.

After they finished the coffee, they gathered up their stuff from the tent; Ruby and Weiss went inside to clean up, but Yang held back, and grabbed Blake’s shoulder. “Hold on a sec.”

“What is it?” the Faunus asked.

“Blake…” Yang hesitated. “I know we were sort of being controlled by Salem’s magic, but…you know, I was thinking about you…even before.” She laughed. “I guess Dad had a harem or something back when he was at Beacon—I mean, he had my biological mom, and my mom-mom. And from what Uncle Qrow told us, he was pretty popular with other ladies too. And…this sounds stupid…but I got a bit jealous.”

“And you thought about building your own harem.” Blake raised an eyebrow. “Which included me.”

“Um…yeah.” Yang scratched the back of her head. “Like I said yesterday, I think I’m omnisexual.”

“I’m fairly certain that’s not even a word.” Blake hugged herself, as if she was cold. “Yang…I just don’t know how I feel about that. As you know, I’m coming off a very bad relationship. I don’t want to just jump into another one. I know you wouldn’t be like Adam,” she said, holding up a hand. “But Yang, I think you might be just a little recreational about all this. I get it that it’s fun, but for me…I need more than that. I don’t want you to be a rebound.”

Yang nodded. “Okay.”

Blake looked at her strangely. “You came to that decision kind of fast.”

“No, you’re right, Blake. Mom and I talked about that, like I said. And you’re right, maybe I need to take relationships more seriously.” Yang shrugged and smiled. “Guess I don’t need a harem after all.”

“You’re a good person, Yang Xiao Long. And a beautiful one.” Blake kissed Yang’s forehead. “I’m not dismissing the idea, but…I just want to think about it.” She winked. “Now let’s get into the house before Weiss and Ruby start wondering if we’re doing more than talking out here.”

“Yeah.” Yang threw her things over her shoulder and followed Blake out. 

“Yang,” Blake said as they walked to the house, “I was thinking, though…we still have about ten days left on break. Would you and the others like to visit my family in Menagerie? It’s a ways, but we might could swing it. I’d love to show you around.” _And reconnect with my_ own _family,_ Blake thought. She’d actually been thinking about it for awhile, after seeing Summer and Tai. They reminded her of her own parents, and it had been a very long time since she’d seen them. And none of them were guaranteed tomorrow. Salem’s peace was fragile at best, and that was assuming the witch was being honest.

“Menagerie?” Yang grinned. “I’ve always wanted to go there! Yeah, if we could figure out time and so on, I’d love to!”

Blake shook her head. “Wait, on second thought…you want to spend time with your mother. You haven’t seen her in so long.” _How could I be so selfish?_ she asked herself.

“Well…maybe they’d like to go along too?”

Blake’s eyes lit up. “Yes! That could work out great! We have a big house, and I know Mom and Dad would love _your_ mom and dad.”

Yang took her hand and half-dragged her to the front door. “Let’s go ask!”

Tai ran a finger across his chin. They were all gathered around the dinner table, having breakfast. “I don’t know. Menagerie is a long way. By ship, it would take a week to get there, and another week to get back to Vale.”

“Damn,” Yang replied.

“I guess I forgot,” Blake sighed. “When I…left the White Fang, we were in Atlas. It was much shorter to go by ship from there to Vale.” She didn’t feel like telling them how she, Adam, and the White Fang had gotten from Menagerie to Atlas, as it involved a long journey across the continent of Anima. And stealing, larceny, and, when it came to Adam, homicide.

“It would be nice, though,” Summer said wistfully. “We’ve been talking about a second honeymoon, Tai. Menagerie has some _very_ nice beaches.” 

“So does Vacuo.”

“Yes, but I don’t want to even chance running into Salem there. I’m still wondering if she just went back on vacation.”

“That’s true. And Menagerie isn’t as crowded this time of year.” Tai opened his Scroll and did some quick checking. “Well, shit.” Then he looked up, a little embarrassed that he’d cursed in front of his family, but they all smiled at him.

“What’s wrong, Dad?” Ruby asked.

“I was thinking maybe airship, which would give us more than enough time, but it’s expensive as all get out. I’ve saved up a good amount, but it’s not enough.”

Blake shrugged. “It was just an idea.”

Summer finished off her eggs. “Maybe I can ask Ozpin for 13 years of back pay,” she mumbled around her eggs, then spit them back onto her plate before she choked. “Wait, that’s it!”

“What is?” at least three of them asked.

“Ozpin!” Summer grinned mischievously. “ _He_ can get us there!”

“I don’t think he’s going to pay you 13 years back pay,” Tai told her.

“Me neither, but I’m still a licensed Huntress—“

“Who told him you were quitting,” Tai reminded Summer.

“Then he can by the gods do me a favor!” Summer wasn’t giving up so easily. “As a Huntress, I can wangle a Priority One clearance. Sure, it’s only for emergencies, but Ozpin sort of owes me, doesn’t he? If it hadn’t been for us, we wouldn’t have this peace with Salem! He can give us a damn vacation!” She looked at Team RWBY. “And if Team RWBY should accompany us for, ah, training…well, he can’t complain about them doing a little over-spring-break homework, can he?”

Tai rubbed his eyes. “Oh, man.” Then he looked from Summer, to his daughters, to Weiss and Blake. They were all nodding and smiling hugely. “Well, what the hell. Why not? I haven’t been to Menagerie in almost 20 years.”

“Too bad Uncle Qrow isn’t here,” Yang said. “He’d love that. Girl in every port and so on.”

“Where _did_ he go?” Weiss asked. She surreptitiously gave the rest of her eggs to a very happy Zwei beneath the table. She liked eggs, but she also couldn’t resist corgi eyes.

“Ozpin sent him to Atlas to break the news of the peace to General Ironwood,” Summer explained. “He probably won’t be back for awhile.”

“Atlas?” Weiss sniffed a laugh. “He’ll probably run into my sister. I doubt _they_ would get along too well, as stickler as she is about proper dress and hygiene.”

_Officers’ Quarters, Atlas Academy_

_Kingdom of Atlas, World of Remnant_

_About the Same Time_

“The least you could’ve done was shaved,” Winter Schnee sighed. “Though I suppose I should be thankful you bathed.”

Qrow didn’t reply, given that he was busy between her legs. They lay in Winter’s bed, naked, their clothes strewn from the front door to her bedroom. His tongue was exploring her labia, darting inside to lap at her opening, before teasing at the nub of her clitoris. She almost laughed, as his stubble tickled a little, but then she half-closed her eyes as a jolt of pleasure shot from her core to her brain. Winter’s toes curled. “Mmm.”

He stopped to grin up at her—that half-smile that both aggravated her and sent her heart pounding at the same time. “I could go shave real quick,” he said. “If you don’t mind me borrowing a razor. You seem to have some good ones.” He kissed the smooth inside of both thighs.

“I suppose I can deal with it,” Winter said with mock gravity, because there was no way in the four realms she was going to allow him to stop. He went back to what he was doing. She ran her fingers through his black hair. “This peace…I’m not sure how General Ironwood is going to take this. He’s not going to trust in it, and frankly, neither do I. Salem isn’t exactly trustworthy.”

“Um,” Qrow replied, and licked at the nub.

Winter gave a sharp intake of breath. “Do you honestly think we can trust her?”

Qrow decided that he was going to have to find another way to shut Winter up. He got up, went over one of her legs, lay down, and pushed the same leg up, hooking it around his rear to give access for his very eager erection. She allowed him to do so, but still kept talking. “Qrow, I asked you a question. It’s a rather important one.”

He stopped. “Can you at least _try_ to concentrate?”

Winter felt the swollen head against her entrance, throbbing and insistent, and laughed. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s what I get for banging a military girl.” The position wasn’t quite working, so he gently got her up on her knees and got behind her.

“Is that so?” Winter smiled over her shoulder. “Maybe if you were actually _doing_ something…”

“Oh yeah?” Qrow smiled back. He positioned himself and slowly slid into her. “How’s that?”

“Not bad,” she said, pushing back against him and bracing herself on her hands. “A good effort, at least.”

“Ha!” Qrow said, and began thrusting into her. _That_ finally quieted Winter, other than her increasing gasps and moans. He reached forward and pulled the pins out of her hair, freeing it from its bun and letting it flow freely across her back. Now she was no longer the prim and proper Colonel Winter Schnee of the Atlesian Defense Force, but Winter Schnee, the beautiful and gorgeous woman he’d had a relationship with for nearly a year. She tossed her head in passion, which gave him more than enough incentive. 

“Ahh, Qrow,” she panted. “Ahh! I think…I’m…about…yesss… _haaa…_ there…” Then she buried her head in the pillows to muffle her screams, and Qrow paused to enjoy her orgasm, the feel of those strong inner muscles squeezing him. He waited until she had died away to whimpers, then thrust all the way in, leaning across her back. “You good?” he whispered.

She lifted her head off the pillow—hair tousled, falling over that icy beauty he found himself dreaming about, the once cold blue eyes now half-lidded and warm, the smile for him alone. “Don’t stop,” she told him.

“Okay.” He moved his hands down to grip her breasts, feeling the hardened nipples, and resumed thrusting into her. Qrow knew he wasn’t going to last much longer, and he was right. Only five or six more, and he tensed. “Winter…”

“I said don’t stop.”

There was no holding back. Qrow groaned out her name once more, and came deep inside her. Now it was Winter who waited patiently until he was done, then he pulled out of her and rolled to one side. She fell down next to him. “Whew,” she breathed happily. 

“Yeah,” Qrow struggled out. “Never…thought we’d…”

“Oh, you knew we were going to. I just wish you’d called ahead. I might have met you dressed more…appropriately.” She’d been in her uniform when he’d knocked on her door, and it hadn’t been all that easy to get it off without ruining it. 

“Oh yeah?” he grinned.

“Certainly,” she smiled. “Lingerie…or nothing at all.”

“It would’ve made it easier.”

Winter flicked his nose, then got up, walked naked into her kitchen, and got two seltzers. Qrow would prefer a beer or something harder, but Winter did not drink liquor. Not after seeing what it had done to her mother. “So… _can_ we trust Salem?” she asked as she handed him the bottle.

“Winter, for the gods’ sake!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snowbird is the shipping hill I will die on. No offense, Fair Game shippers, I think Qrow and Winter belong together! (Of course, that's less of an issue now...poor Clover.)
> 
> Madame Mallari is, in theory, a canon RWBY character. She shows up in the DC comic as a sort of neighbor to Taiyang, and is a "healer" (though it's implied she's more of an herbalist), and indeed walks on two artificial legs. It's not said one way or the other if she's a former Huntress, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt.


	24. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tai, Summer and Team RWBY head for Menagerie, and Blake confesses that her last conversation with her parents was not a pleasant one. Things are quite well in the Belladonna household, however, as Ghira decides he'd rather have Kali for lunch than chicken. 
> 
> Wait, isn't this what happened to Tai and Summer (and Raven)? Oh no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't seen Season 4 in awhile (need to watch it again), so I don't remember if Blake ever said what her last conversation to her parents was. I'm assuming it wasn't a nice conversation.

_Between Vale and Menagerie_

_Sea of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_Late the Next Day_

“Ohh…boy,” Ruby moaned. “Ohhh, Weiss.”

Weiss looked up from her seat. “What are you blaming me for? It’s not my fault you’re airsick.” She went back to her magazine. “Besides, I told you eating that entire bag of orange peanuts before we took off was a bad idea.”

Yang, who had her seat fully extended and was kicking back, laughed. “At least when she pukes, it’s a bright, happy color.”

Ruby turned bloodshot eyes on Yang. “If Mom wasn’t here, I’d say something. Something bad.” Then they hit more turbulence, and everyone was quite happy Ruby’s Semblance was speed. In a blur of rose petals, she was in the bathroom again. 

Weiss rolled her eyes. “She’s gotten smarter, but not wiser.”

Yang idly looked out the window. “Still can’t believe Mom got us first class on an airship! This is awesome.”

Weiss nodded. It _was_ impressive. Of course, the Schnees had their own private airship—two of them—but this was larger and roomier. Direct airship service from Vale to Menagerie was fairly new, and very expensive, but Ozpin was happy to pull some strings for Summer. Officially, she was a “special ambassador” from Beacon to Menagerie, carrying official messages for the Menagerie Council regarding the Faunus students at Beacon. Team RWBY were given some hasty homework on the influence of the White Fang on Faunus in Menagerie, with the understanding that they had plenty of time to complete it. Ozpin figured he could give the only Huntress team to ever survive an engagement with Salem a bit of a break. It was one of the new large airships, the Atlesian Aircraft Company 858, powered by gravity Dust; Summer, Tai, and Team RWBY had the entire forward part of the fuselage, beneath the cockpit. The rest of the passengers sat behind them. For Weiss, it was what she was used to. For everyone else, it was something wonderfully new. Ruby had gorged herself on the free candy offered to passengers, and was now paying the price. Yang had slept for an hour or two, woken by the mild turbulence, and now was enjoying watching the world go by below. Tai and Summer had toasted each other in complimentary champagne, and had dozed as well, hand in hand. 

Only Blake seemed not to be enjoying herself. In fact, she had seemed more agitated the closer they got to Menagerie—first on the drive to the Patch airport (though that would have agitated Ren, Semblance and all), then the short flight to Beacon, and now the longer flight. She had tried to sleep, then tried to eat a little something, then finally gave up. She needed to talk to someone, and it needed to be someone older than Team RWBY. 

She got up, easily compensated for the slight motion of the airship, and walked over to sit across from Summer and Tai. Tai was sound asleep, and Summer was idly leafing through a news magazine; it had occurred to her that she needed to get caught up on current affairs. “Mrs. Xiao Long? Can I talk with you for a little while?”

Summer put aside the magazine. “Of course, Blake. And please…just call me Summer. ‘Mrs. Xiao Long’ is a bit of a mouthful.”

“Okay.” Blake took a breath. “It’s about my parents.” Summer nodded, elbows balanced on the armrests, waiting. “We didn’t…really part on good terms when I left.”

“Is that why you asked Ozpin not to let them know you were coming?”

“Yeah. I guess I’m just scared.”

Tai stirred awake. He looked around. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, hon-bun,” Summer told him. “Go back to sleep.”

He yawned and stretched. “Nah. Where’s Ruby? Back in the can?” Blake nodded. “Guess I’ll go make sure she’s still alive.” He got up and walked towards the bathrooms in the nose. 

Summer turned her attention back to Blake. “What are you scared of?”

“The last time I saw them was just before…my last mission with the White Fang. When I left them—the White Fang, I mean. See, I don’t know if you remember, but my parents founded the White Fang.”

“I remember. It wasn’t a terrorist group back then,” Summer said.

“No. About five years ago, my parents stepped down from leading the Fang, in favor of someone who was younger and more dynamic. Unfortunately, that happened to be Sienna Khan. She’s far more militant. She thinks the humans will take us more seriously and treat Faunus more equally if she kills a few of them. All she’s done is make things worse.”

“Unfortunately that tends to happen,” Summer remarked.

“Summer…I was part of that.” Blake sighed. “Mom and Dad kind of backed down because there were a lot of Faunus, especially young ones, who wanted us to be more active against the humans. I was one of those. I got caught up in it, and I joined in. I just wanted to belong, and finally I did.” Blake decided not to mention Adam. Not yet. She could barely admit it to Yang. “When I saw what they did to humans, I justified it by saying that maybe the humans deserved it. Then I…I killed a few people myself. It was self-defense, mostly, but given what we were doing, I’m not sure a judge would agree.” Blake couldn’t meet Summer’s eyes. “Luckily, I never got much of a taste for blood, but for a long time, I told myself the violence wasn’t that bad if I didn’t participate directly in it. But around a year or so ago, I finally ran out of excuses. I partially sabotaged my last mission and I left. I fled to Beacon. Professor Ozpin was nice enough to accept me and protect me.”

“He does that.” Summer remembered Qrow and Raven when they had first come to Beacon. The Branwen tribe was known as little more than nomadic thieves and worse, people who were known to kill if someone stood between the tribe and something they wanted. He hoped that Qrow and Raven would accept a better outlet for the violence they’d been raised with. It had worked with Qrow. But Summer knew the type, and in some ways had been that way herself: aimless, curious, searching for meaning. She found it first as a Huntress and then as a mother. Blake was no different than most teenagers in that regard, but on top of that, she was a member of a race still trying to find its place in a hostile world. 

“Is your family wealthy, Blake?” Tai had come back from the bathroom. In his wake, Ruby, her face a shade of mint green, staggered back to her seat and collapsed. 

“I wouldn’t say wealthy, but we’re fairly well off. Dad is the Chieftain of Menagerie.”

“I figured that.” Tai took his seat. “You felt bad for the Faunus that were worse off than you, you felt like you owed them for your family being well-to-do. The White Fang had its claws into you before you even knew it.”

“I suppose so.” Blake leaned forward, resting her head on her hands. “I’m not ashamed I left. I’m going to dedicate my life to stopping them. To show there’s a better way. It’s what my parents wanted for me, and I rejected that. But now, I’ve realized they were right all along.”

“Good for you,” Tai remarked.

“There’s just one problem.” Blake regarded the carpet on the airship’s floor, her eyes involuntarily looking for patterns. “The last time I talked to my parents, I said some pretty awful things. I called them cowards for not doing more to stop the White Fang. I told them I didn’t need them anymore.” She thought she might start crying, but Blake didn’t, though she felt a deep, helpless sadness. “I told them I was never coming back. I haven’t spoken to them since, but I felt like…if I came back here with my team…if they rejected me, it wouldn’t be so bad.” Then the tears did come. “I didn’t tell them I was coming, because I can’t bring myself to talk to them. After the things I said…”

Summer got out of her seat, crossed over the aisle between them, and hugged Blake. “Blake, it’s okay. It’ll be okay. They're your parents; they still love you. They’ll understand, better than you think. They won’t reject you.”

“But what if they do?” Blake cried.

“Then you still got us,” Yang said, looking over her seat at her battle partner. “You’ve still got Team RWBY. We’ll be your family.” She looked back at her team. “Right, guys?”

Weiss smiled and nodded. She’d been listening to Blake’s story, though she’d heard parts of it before. _How strange,_ she thought. _One of my best friends used to be one of my family’s greatest enemies._ She wondered if she would ever be able to return to _her_ family as Blake was returning to hers. “Of course,” Weiss said, to make sure she’d gotten her point across.

Ruby’s hand came up in a thumbs-up. “I’d hug you, Blake,” she mumbled, “but I’m afraid to move right now.”

Blake laughed and wiped away her tears. “Thank you all.” They all stopped as the crew announced they were beginning their descent to Menagerie. She got up to return to her seat. “Well,” Blake whispered, though not so quiet they didn’t hear her, “I guess we’re about to find out.”

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Isle of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_About An Hour Later_

Ghira Belladonna closed the front door of the lodge behind him, and blew out a breath. He wasn’t physically tired, really, just emotionally. Menagerie was balancing on a sword’s edge right now, between overt support of the White Fang—which would bring the wrath of the other realms down on them—and outright rejection of the group, which would bring the wrath of the White Fang onto them. He didn’t fear the White Fang, contrary to his daughter’s belief: Ghira actually held them in contempt. But they could do considerable damage before they were destroyed, and civil war between Faunus was something he wanted to avoid as much as he wanted to avoid war with the humans. 

“Kali!” he boomed out. 

“In the kitchen!” she returned.

“Excellent!” Ghira decided to have a little fun with his wife. “Make me a sandwich, woman!”

“Make it yourself, you lazy ass!”

He laughed, took off his armor and his jacket and hung them up, and made his way towards the kitchen. It left him barechested, but Menagerie was beginning to enter the summer months: it was rather nice outside, and his thick mass of chest and arm hair tended to keep him warm in any case. And it wasn’t like Kali minded seeing his broad chest. “There you are,” he said as he entered the kitchen. She was dicing some chicken for dinner, but as he walked in, she turned to face him. “How did the meeting go?”

“About the same as always. We can expect a visit from the Albain brothers in an hour or so. They will be less than pleased.”

“They’re always less than pleased,” Kali snorted. “Since you’ve had a rough day, I’ll make you a sandwich. Unless you’re hungry for something else.”

“What else do…you…have…” Ghira’s voice trailed off. Kali had turned around. She was wearing an apron, but now Ghira realized that she was wearing nothing else. She looked over her shoulder. “I’ve had a long day too,” she smiled. “And I’m feeling a little…constricted.”

“What a coincidence,” Ghira grinned. “So am I.”

Kali held up a finger. “Unfortunately, you took a little longer than usual, so wait until I finish this chicken. Then we can retire to our bedroom and see about that constriction.”

“You think I can wait that long?” Ghira felt himself getting hard. Even after twenty years of marriage, Kali still had this effect on him. She was pushing forty, but one wouldn’t know it to look at her. 

“You’d better, because we are _not_ making love on the kitchen table.”

“Not after we broke the last one, no.” Ghira snagged some scraps of chicken off the table, figuring he’d better fortify himself. Kali could be sweet and gentle, or she could be a hurricane that would leave claw marks in his back and fang marks in his neck. “May I make one suggestion?”

“Yes?”

“You’ll feel less constricted with the apron off.”

Kali laughed throatily, and did as asked. She tossed the apron aside, and now completely nude, went back to dicing the chicken and putting it in a container. As she did so, she hummed a little tune and danced ever so slightly, turning her shapely rear this way and that. Ghira ate some more and considered himself the luckiest male, human or Faunus, in the entirety of Remnant.

Finally, she closed the container and put it in the refrigerator, bending over far more than was necessary. “Ye gods,” Ghira breathed. There was no part of her he could not see. “You’d better be done.”

Kali turned and brushed off her hands. “I am.”

“Good!” Ghira half-ran around the table, grabbed her, and threw her over his shoulder, slapping her backside. Kali giggled and held on as he carried her up the stairs, to the bedroom and slammed the door. He practically threw her on the bed and began stripping for action. Kali sat up on her elbows, letting her thighs part, knowing how the view would excite him even more. Ghira, huge panther Faunus that he was, stopped and gave a sort of whine at that. Kali hopped off the bed. “Allow me, my husband,” she said, kissing his chest. It had always been a surprise for people to meet Ghira and Kali for the first time: while he was tall, hairy and broad-shouldered, she was petite and thin and barely came up to his shoulder blades—and that included the large ears atop her head. 

He had managed to get his pants off, and an enormous erection strained at his boxers. She carefully removed those. “Oh my,” she cooed, “is that for me? It must be my birthday.” He was huge. When they had first gotten married, it had taken awhile for her to learn how to accommodate him. But they managed.

“That’s so corny,” Ghira said. “You need new lines.”

“Hmpf.” She took hold of him, just below the head, and lifted it up, licking the shaft to the base, and then back up. Kali did this a few more times, then looked up at him. “Still complaining?”

“Hell, no.” 

“Good.” Also contrary to popular belief, cat Faunus did not have rough tongues. At least Kali’s wasn’t, and as she returned to slowly licking up and down, Ghira started thinking about the meeting, because it was the only way he was going to last. Twenty years of marriage also meant that she knew _exactly_ how to get his motor running. When she took the tip in her mouth and began swirling her tongue around, he knew he’d better say something. “Kali…I think you’d better stop.”

She pulled back, still smiling. “Remember our wedding night?”

Ghira looked pained. “Do you _have_ to bring that up?”

“Oh, come on. It was cute.”

“It was embarrassing.” After an interiminably long wedding and reception, Ghira had wanted Kali like a man dying of thirst wanted water. When he had disrobed, he had expected Kali to be a little afraid, and knew he’d have to be gentle with her; after all, while he had cut a swath through village girls, Kali was a virgin. Instead, she’d clapped her hands and screamed like she’d won the lottery, grabbed him, and started doing _that_ with her tongue. He’d lasted twenty seconds and blasted her in the face. Luckily, Kali had thought that was hilarious. Ghira didn’t like to be laughed at, but he’d also discovered _her_ weak spot as well that night. He reached down, grabbed her under her shoulders, and flung her onto the bed. She landed with a thump as he crawled onto the bed. “Oh no,” she said with mock terror, “the big bad panther has me right where he wants me! Oh no! Help me, someone save me!” She closed her thighs together and put a hand over her eyes. “Please, giant Faunus with the enormous penis! Please don’t take my innocence!”

Ghira growled ferally and they had a brief contest of strength—part of the game, as far as Kali was concerned—but finally he got her legs open. He put a hand over her crotch: it was hot, and already wet. He could smell her arousal. She gasped theatrically. “Oh, please no! I shall swoon!”

“Gods, I hope so,” he replied, and teased her by rubbing the head up and down her folds. Kali suddenly went tense and very quiet. “May I take your innocence?” he asked sarcastically.

She smiled back at him, the pretense of terror gone, replaced by an almost evil smirk. “I suppose you might as well.”

“Ha!” Ghira balanced himself, and gently thrust in. Although Kali was used to his size, he still knew he couldn’t go all the way in. It was still enough. Kali laughed and tucked her feet behind his back. Carefully, he slid in and out of her, and as he moved forward, planted two kisses on her smallish breasts before kissing her mouth . A little moan worked its way out of her lips. “Okay?” he whispered. He always did. Ghira, for as long as they had been married, was still afraid he was hurting her, she was so much smaller than him. 

“Of course,” Kali replied. She actually pushed him in a bit deeper. “And you can go a little faster, too.”

“Why?” Ghira kept up the slow speed, and watched her as he did. She began to squirm, her lips opened as her breathing sped up, and her fingers began to slide up and down his back. He held himself up with one hand and tickled a nipple with the other. Now she was beginning to make humming noises, little ones at the back of her throat, and gripped him even tighter, rising off the bed to meet his slow pushes. “G-Ghira,” she struggled out. “I-I-I can’t…”

“Then don’t,” he said. He pulled all the way out, then with one thrust, went as deep as he dared. Her eyes rolled back into her head, Kali gave a sort of yowl, and then groans as she came, her hands beating at his back, her feet digging into his rear. “How was that?” he asked, grinning.

Kali gulped down air. “Definitely…swooning…” He laughed and played with her breasts. Once she’d gotten her breath back, she pulled him out of her, pushed him onto his back, and her predatory grin came back. “My turn.”

“Oh no,” Ghira said, pitching his voice higher, “the little cat Faunus has me right where she wants me! Someone save me from this beautiful female with the smooth thighs, cute breasts, and tight ass!” She rolled her eyes and gripped him. “Oh no! My innocence!”

“Oh, shut up.” He laughed, but the laughter stopped abruptly when she began using both hands, her lips and her tongue. She wasn’t going so slow. “Uh… _Kali…”_ he groaned.

She took her lips away and cupped his testicles. “Just about full?”

“I don’t want to make a mess…”

“I do!” Kali began milking him with both hands, and Ghira barely bit back a roar as he felt himself go past the point of no return. “Oh _gods!”_ he shouted, and his semen shot into the air. Most of it landed on her chest, but Kali only laughed and kept going. The streams coated her hands and indeed made a mess of the sheets, until at last he was finished and began to soften. Kali got to her feet, pulled a towel out of a drawer, and dried them both off. Then she snuggled up to him, snickering to herself. Ghira couldn’t help but join her. Kali Belladonna was very playful, and if she wasn’t giggling, laughing uproariously, or snorting by the time they were done making love, Ghira knew he hadn’t pleased her. There were very few times he hadn’t. 

Then the loud bang of the door knocker resounded through the house.

“Shit,” Ghira said. “That will be the Albain brothers.”

“Dammit,” Kali snarled. “I should go down there and kick them in the balls, if they have any.” The knocker banged again, and she jumped to her feet. “In fact, I should answer the door naked just to show them what they’ve interrupted!” To his horror, she started stomping towards the bedroom door, and he realized she was going to do exactly that. He rolled to his feet. “Kali, stop!”

“No! They deserve to get an eyeful!” He snatched up his boxers and pants, hopped after her while somehow getting them on, and raced down the stairs; she’d built up quite a lead towards the door, her bottom wobbling distractedly, but luckily his legs were longer. He grabbed her. “Kali, you can’t!”

“Why the hell not? I’m sick of them, Ghira!” She did keep her voice down.

He got his jacket off the rack. “At least put this on.” On Kali, it would be a tent, but at least it would cover her up. He tightened the middle strap so it wouldn’t fall open. “Done?” she asked imperiously. He nodded. “Good!” Kali resumed stalking to the front door, grabbed both handles, and flung them open. “What in the hell do you want?” she demanded. “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here!”

Blake shrank back from her mother’s wrath, every nightmare coming to horrifying reality. She tried to retreat, but luckily or unluckily, her path was blocked by Tai, Summer and Team RWBY. “M-Mom?”

Kali’s mouth dropped open. “B…Blake?” she whispered. “Oh my gods…Blake?”

Ghira walked forward. He saw the others, all humans, but his eyes were only for his daughter. His beautiful daughter. After their last conversation, he’d tried to put his only child out of his mind, never forgetting her but trying not to think about her. She was lost, but now she was found. 

Blake burst into tears and did what any child would when they could: she ran forward into her mother’s arms. “Mom!” Kali, sobbing, hugged her tight, and then both of them felt the warmth of Ghira’s big arms as he enfolded both of them. “Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” Blake repeated. 

“It’s all right,” Ghira said, because Kali could not force words out past the lump in her throat, “You’re home now. You’re home.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually got the idea for this chapter from a conversation on one of the RWBY Reddit pages, where one of the posters pleaded for someone to let Ghira make love to his wife. Kali is usually drawn having an affair with Sun. Call me old-fashioned, but something tells me Kali would never go out for fast food when she's got a four-course gourmet meal waiting at home. Hence, the love scene between the "old marrieds." Awww.
> 
> Tai's remarks about Blake's motivation are interesting, because I drew them from a study on real-world terrorism. Almost all terrorists in positions of authority come from middle class or rich backgrounds, and guilt can play a motivating factor. 
> 
> As I write this, I realize more and more how Summer's return completely turns Remnant on its ear. In a good way!


	25. A Better Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake Belladonna is home. How will her parents react, and will they get along with Team RWBY--especially with Weiss Schnee?
> 
> And maybe most importantly...just how bad can Kali embarrass her daughter? It's time for baby pictures!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of another bridge chapter, getting the Belladonnas introduced to Team RWBY and company. Some humor this time as well, because that's what parents do to their kids when they grow up, though there's also some tension here.

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_One Second After Blake Came Home_

Summer leaned into Tai, watching as the Belladonnas embraced, and Blake did not so much cry into her parents’ shoulders, but wailed. A lost soul, returning home. “Was that the way it was with me?” she asked him quietly. 

“A little bit,” he replied. “But they knew Blake was alive. Maybe that made it worse for them somehow—to know that someone’s alive but you can’t reach them.” He hugged her, putting his arms around her. “We were able to make peace with you being gone, but if you had been somewhere...”

Blake was able to recover enough that she straightened up. “Mom, Dad,” she sniffled, “these are my friends. This is my team: Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Weiss…” She hesitated, then plunged on, knowing what Weiss’ last name meant to Faunus. “Weiss Schnee.” She motioned to the two adults. “And that’s Ruby’s and Yang’s parents, Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer, um…” She wasn’t sure how to introduce Summer. She had been referring to her as "Mrs. Xiao Long" out of deference, but it occurred to her that maybe she'd kept her maiden name.

“Summer Rose,” Summer said, smiling, and stepped forward, putting out a hand. “How do you do?”

Kali took the hand and squeezed it. “I’ve heard of you, Miss Rose. I’d heard you disappeared. I'm glad to see it wasn't true."

Summer laughed. “That’s a _long_ story, Mrs. Belladonna.”

Ghira moved past, one hand still on Blake’s shoulder. He towered over all of them, even Taiyang. “This is your team?” he asked his daughter. “Your friends?” He was looking straight at Weiss Schnee.

“Yes,” Blake said, this time without hesitation. “ _All_ of them.”

Ghira said nothing for a moment, then his face split in a toothy smile. “Then they are welcome here. Even a Schnee.” He patted her shoulder again. “Because they brought you back, Blake. They brought you back.”

They heard someone coming up the stairs, and turned to see two Faunus dressed in red and black robes—one with big ears, another with a furry tail. They spotted Blake, and were visibly startled, though they recovered well enough. Both of them bowed in unison. “Hello,” they said at the same time. 

Ghira stepped forward, past Team RWBY, and returned the bow—though not as deeply. “Fennec, Corsac,” he said. He motioned to the others. “Forgive me. I know we were going to talk, but…as you can see, something has come up.”

Fennec smiled benevolently. “Certainly, Ghira. We can come back at a later time.” He looked past Ghira to Blake, who now stood with Team RWBY. “Welcome home, Blake Belladonna. It’s good to see you.”

She inclined her head. “And you, Fennec—Corsac." It was a lie. Blake was tempted to grab Gambol Shroud and shoot both of them. "I don’t want people to know I’m here just yet,” she told them. “I just want to reconnect to my family.”

Corsac nodded. “Of course. We’ll leave you to it.” Both clasped their hands, bowed, turned as one, and walked away.

“Who’re they?” Ruby asked.

“Fennec and Corsac Albain,” Blake answered, before her father could. “They’re representatives of the White Fang.”

“Oh shit,” Yang said.

“Yes, very much so,” Ghira rumbled. “And there is no way in hell they will keep Blake coming back—or any of you—quiet.” He sighed. “And that means Sienna Khan will know.”

“And that means he’ll know.” Blake began to tremble. “Adam will know.”

They all gathered around the kitchen table—Tai remembering the old saying that friends worth having always ended up in the kitchen to talk—while Kali began fixing dinner, having hastily changed back into her regular clothes, while Tai and Summer shared a knowing smile. With a lot more people to cook for, she gratefully accepted Summer’s offer of help. And while they worked on dinner, Blake finally told Team RWBY about Adam Taurus, though she left out the more spicier parts she’d told Yang; her parents didn’t need to know about that. Ghira was already ready to twist off Adam’s head and play basketball with the skull.

When she was done, Blake was sitting on one of the stools around the table, looking very small and vulnerable. Yang had put an arm around her and was keeping it there. Ruby went over and hugged her too. “Blake, you should’ve told us,” she said.

Blake looked up at Weiss, who stood with arms folded. “You probably hate me now.”

Weiss sniffed. “Blake, stop it. I already knew you had been with the White Fang. This doesn’t change anything.”

“It doesn’t?”

“Not in the least. You left. That’s what counts.” She rubbed her arms, looking a bit vulnerable herself. “And it’s not like my family is without guilt.”

“No, they’re not,” Ghira said, his bulk taking up one end of the table. “But the abuses of the Schnee Dust Company does not justify the violence of the White Fang. Two wrongs do not make a right. They’re just two wrongs.” He pointed at her. “The fact that you are here, with my daughter, as her friend, gives me hope, Miss Schnee.”

“How does your family feel about it?” Kali asked over her shoulder.

“They don’t know.” Weiss smiled. “And if they do, I don’t care.”

“Well, I admit I never thought I’d have a Schnee under my roof, but if my Blake vouches for you, then I’ll accept it.”

“Will the other Faunus?” Blake asked.

“Good question,” Ghira said. “But let’s cross that bridge when we get to it. The important part is that you’re home, Blake. I’d fight off all of Menagerie for you.”

Blake wiped her eyes. “Dad…”

“I would!” He stood, flexed his impressive muscles, and growled. Blake laughed, which was the intention. Yang opened her mouth, then closed it, deciding to save her remark for later, and maximum effect on Blake. 

Dinner was served a little bit later, and although it was fairly simple, it was tasty; Kali was a bit of a gourmet. To Team RWBY’s surprise, it was served with chopsticks instead of silverware, a Menagerie tradition. Tai and Summer had eaten with chopsticks before and had no trouble, while Weiss mastered it fairly quick. So did Ruby, though after she broke her chopsticks in half cleanly, she had to smirk at the rest of the team, who hadn’t. 

Yang, however, was all thumbs. Kali covered her mouth to keep from laughing. “Yang, it’s all right if you eat with your hands. We won’t be offended.”

“No, I’ve got this.” Yang promptly flung a piece of meat straight up, where it landed behind her. “Dammit.”

Summer sighed. She was sitting between her daughters. “Do you want Mommy to feed you?”

Yang darkened with rage. “I might,” she growled.

Weiss clicked her tongue, grabbed Yang’s hands, and showed her how to put the chopsticks together. This time it worked a little better, and finally Yang was able to eat. 

They made small talk at the table, with Team RWBY talking about Beacon and everything that happened there, and Blake had to admit to the now infamous food fight that had devastated the cafeteria and sent Yang flying through the ceiling. Kali thought it absolutely hilarious, while Ghira grinned at his daughter. Tai sensed something was bothering him, but the Faunus chieftain was too good of a host to say it out loud. For their part, Summer had asked to keep the news about Salem quiet for now: it was doubtful either of the Belladonnas even knew of Salem’s existence, and it would require a very long explanation. They wanted to keep the atmosphere as light as possible, for Blake. 

When dinner was finished and the plates were cleared off, the after-dinner discussion broke into two halves: Kali, Summer, Blake and Yang went into the living room and sat around the low table there, while Tai, Ghira, Weiss and Ruby remained in the kitchen to wash the dishes—Weiss wanting to prove that her last name didn’t mean she wasn’t willing to engage in real work.

Kali suddenly clapped her hands. “Oh, I almost forgot!” She smiled at Blake. “You know the tradition when you have company over, dear.”

Blake covered her eyes. “Oh, gods, Mom. Please don’t.”

Kali got to her feet. “Tough kitty toenails, Blake. It’s what you get for not calling ahead to tell us you were coming home.”

“I’d believe that if you wouldn’t do it anyway!” Blake yelled after her mother, who was practically skipping towards the library. 

“What is it?” Yang asked.

“She’s getting the family album,” Blake groaned. “Prepare for my baby pictures.”

Summer shot her hands into the air. “Yes! Baby pictures! I should’ve brought ours!”

“Oh _no,”_ Yang said, covering her eyes as Blake had. “They’re going to bond.”

“You be quiet,” Summer ordered. Kali came back with the album and set it on the table. “Oh, Ghira! I’m bringing out the album! Baby pictures!”

Ghira let out a guffaw. “Oh gods. Here we go."

“Baby pictures?” Ruby squeed. “Of Blake? As a _kitten?_ ” Ghira nodded. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!” She dropped her washcloth and ran into the living room, so fast that Tai was surprised there weren’t rose petals. Weiss hesitated, but Ghira shooed her off; the dishes were basically done in any case. Then he turned to Tai. “Do you want to see my daughter’s baby pictures?” He reached into the refrigerator and produced two beers. “Or do you want to talk about other things?” He inclined his head towards the balcony beyond the kitchen.

“Beer sounds fine.” 

They went out onto the balcony. Neither needed an opener; both just twisted off the tops. Tai and Ghira clinked their beers together and took a long drink. Tai inspected his beer. “Good stuff. Lager?”

“Locally brewed.” Ghira leaned against the railing. There was a magnificent view of Menagerie from here; Tai had noticed on the way in that the Belladonna Lodge was on a rise in the center of the city. “We try to be as self-sufficient as possible out here. Sometimes we have to import things, but we’re doing what we can.”

Tai nodded, and decided now was as good a time as any. As Salem had found out, Taiyang Xiao Long could be very direct. “What’s bothering you, Mr. Belladonna?”

“Ghira,” the big Faunus replied. “My friends call me that, and I can already tell we’re going to be friends.”

“I’m glad, but how so?”

Ghira motioned at Tai’s arms. “Scars. I respect a man with scars on his arms and callouses on his fingers. You’ve seen some mileage. Huntsman?”

Tai nodded again. “Mostly. I had to take a lot of time off to raise Ruby and Yang, but I still get in a mission now and then. We don’t get a lot of Grimm on Patch—not as much as we used to.”

“Occasionally we’ll get them here, but it’s fairly rare.” 

They were silent for a moment. “We’re in danger here, aren’t we?” Tai asked.

“Quite possibly. It would be better if the White Fang didn’t know you were here, but…they do.”

“We probably shouldn’t have come,” Tai said. “But Blake’s team—“

Ghira reached out and put a huge hand on Tai’s shoulder. “You will be safe with us. You brought my daughter home safe, and I don’t care about the rest. We thought…we wondered if we’d ever see her again. We knew she was alive, but she…said some things, the last time we talked.”

“Blake told us.”

Ghira took a pull at his beer, staring at the forest that surrounded the lodge. “Having her back here, alive…”

Tai tapped his beer bottle against Ghira’s. “I know pretty much what you mean. Summer…she disappeared for 13 years. We thought she was dead. Turns out she’d just been displaced in time, but…13 years without my wife, the mother of my kids.”

Ghira slowly nodded. He could not imagine what it would be like to lose Kali. This human was a tough man—and a good man, he could tell. “You stayed true to her all those years, even when you thought her dead.”

“Didn’t think I could be lucky twice.” Tai didn’t feel like talking about Raven. 

“I hear you.” Ghira finished his beer. “You will be safe here,” he repeated. “Even the Schnee girl. Menagerie may not appreciate it, but she is a guest.”

“Weiss is not like the rest of her family,” Tai said. “I’ve only known her for a few days, but that team is tight. She would die for Blake, I think, and vice-versa.”

“Let’s hope it never comes to that.”

“Oh. My. _Gods.”_ Yang nearly snorted tea out of her nose. “Blake! You’re so damn cute!”

Blake put her head down on the table. “Weiss.”

Weiss was trying desperately not to burst into laughter. “Yes?”

“Kill me.”

Kali ran her fingers over the picture. It was Blake, barely a month old, wrapped up in blankets, with a pacifier in her mouth, sound asleep, tiny kitten ears poking out of her hair. “She was so tiny, then.” Ruby and Weiss nearly passed out from the cute.

Summer smiled across the table at Ruby. “I know the feeling.”

“And here she is, playing in the bath…” Blake thumped her head against the table. Kali ruffled her hair. “Oh, come on! You were a baby! It’s cute.”

“No, it’s not,” Blake mumbled.

Kali snickered. She turned the page. “Oh, goodness. This is my favorite. Blake with her favorite stuffed toy!” Blake was asleep again, still with the pacifier, wearing a diaper, but was curled around a yellow stuffed dragon, her face buried in its wings. “I think she’s even still got it somewhere. She used to sleep with this all the time.” 

“Some things never change,” Ruby said, and Yang, under the table, brought her heel down on Ruby’s toes, and ground it. Ruby grimaced. “I mean, I still sleep with my stuffed toys too! Ha ha!” Luckily, Kali was too engrossed in the pictures to notice Ruby’s rather lame explanation, or Yang making a throat-cutting gesture.

“Let’s go ahead here. Ah, here we go. Also a favorite.” This one showed Blake at five, dressed in odds and ends meant to be a princess, grinning like a fiend, her parents behind her and laughing. One tooth was missing. Summer laughed; it was the tooth opposite from the one Yang had been missing at the same age. “She didn’t run into a door, did she? Yang lost a tooth that way, running through the house.”

“No. She pulled it out herself, when she found out about the Tooth Maiden. She thought she’d get some lien out of the deal,” Kali explained.

“And I’m still waiting for it,” Blake said, finally raising her head up. 

Kali stared at the picture for awhile, then slowly shut the album. “Well, I’m probably boring you. But I have a map of Menagerie. I’m sure you’ll want to see the island instead of staying in this stuffy old house. Be right back.” She began walking back towards the library.

Summer stared after her. “Blake. Follow your mother.”

“I’ll go too,” Ruby offered, but Summer froze her with a glance. “Blake. Go.” Blake knew an order when she heard one: Summer abruptly reminded them that she had once commanded a Huntsman/Huntress team in combat. The youngest Belladonna got to her feet and quickly went after Kali.

She found her in the library. It was a large room, with a huge desk, built for Ghira’s frame, with all but one wall covered in books. Ghira and Kali were avid readers. Blake’s mother was standing at the edge of one of the shelves, the album in her hands. “I shouldn’t have done that,” Kali whispered. “I embarrassed you.”

“Mom, it’s okay. You _always_ do that when I come home.”

Kali put the album down on the desk, and suddenly her shoulders began to shake. Blake was instantly beside her. “I failed you, Blake,” Kali sobbed. “We failed you. We should’ve protected you. We should’ve…should’ve sent you away, where the White Fang, where that _bastard_ couldn’t get his hands on you!”

“Mom,” Blake said, putting an arm around her, “I made that choice. That was on me.”

“No!” Kali exclaimed. She quickly shut the door so her words would not carry. “No,” she said more softly. “You were so young, Blake. You were in love. You wanted to follow in our footsteps. Adam provided the former and the latter. And we should’ve stopped you.”

Blake shook her head. “And I would’ve sneaked out, Mom. That’s basically what I did anyway. I wanted to believe.” She leaned against the desk. “I opened up to my team, Mom. About the White Fang, and why I was a part of that. We even fought them in Vale, broke up a Dust robbery. They forgave me for being a part of the Fang, and they accepted me as a Faunus.” Blake smiled a little. “Though it took some time for Weiss to accept it. But she did. And as far as Adam goes…” The smile faded. “I told Yang. Everything. Even some things I haven’t told you.”

Kali raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”

Blake’s cheeks turned red. “We were lovers, Mom. Adam and I. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, I know. And the night we saw him sneaking off into the woods—I should have shot the sorry son of a bitch. Ghira went after him, but Adam had too much of a head start.” Blake's eyes widened. She hadn’t known that. Adam and his sword against her father’s strength…Blake gave it a moment’s thought. That was an even contest, even as good as a swordsman Adam Taurus was. 

“You _knew?_ And you didn’t punish me?”

Kali laughed. “You remember that I came up to your room that night. Oh, you played it well, Blake. Innocently reading in your bed...with no clothes on. I still wasn’t sure, but then I looked in the bathroom and found the condom.” She snorted with derision. “At least Adam had brains enough to use protection.” Then she came over and leaned against the desk next to her. “As far as punishing you, I thought about it, because it was with _him._ But Ghira talked me out of it, because as he pointed out, he was a bad boy when I met him. And yes, he sneaked into my parents’ house, too. Though we really didn’t do anything but make out. Ghira was afraid he’d get me pregnant.” Kali sighed. “That’s when we thought Adam was merely misguided, rather than psychotic, and that he’d only killed in self-defense. We learned otherwise very soon.” She slammed a fist against the desk. “Biggest mistake of our lives, Blake.”

“I know the feeling.” Blake felt a shiver, remembering the train, and the last thing she saw on Adam’s face. Not loss, not surprise, not sorrow, but mystification, that Blake would turn on him and the White Fang. “He’ll come after me here, Mom.”

Kali gave a snarl. “And if he does, he’s dead.”

“That’s why I stayed away. I didn’t want him to hurt you. I didn’t want him to hurt _me._ ” Blake felt the fear, fought it down. “But now…now I’ve got a team. And we really are a team. So I felt a little more secure. And after seeing Summer return to her family, well…”

“You figured it was high time you returned to yours.” Kali hugged her. “I like your team, and Summer seems so sweet, despite everything she’s gone through.”

“I don’t deserve them,” Blake said suddenly. “I don’t deserve…you. Or Dad.”

Kali grabbed her shoulders. “And who said that?” Blake didn’t answer. “Listen to me, Blake. You have to forgive yourself for your past, or you have no future. _I love you._ Your father loves you. And we always will. No matter what. Even if you turned into a monster like Adam Taurus, we would still love you. We wouldn’t condone your actions—“

“You’d put me down,” Blake interrupted. “Because you love me.”

“Yes,” Kali answered after a moment. “But thank the gods it never came to that. Or that it ever will.” She embraced her daughter. “You’re home, Blake. It’s all that matters. Let’s start again.” She kissed Blake’s cheek. “You and your team are here on vacation, and by all that’s holy, you’re going to enjoy yourself!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired again by the DC Comics RWBY series, which has some glaring faults, but also has some good writing. Probably the best is Kali and Blake reconnecting, which was tough for me to top. I also was inspired by some internet comics I saw as well. Something tells me the two dads would bond and drink some beers; Tai and Ghira need to meet up in the actual series. They would be one hell of a team.
> 
> I had meant to go a little further, and get Adam introduced, but it's getting late and the chapter is getting long. The White Fang are definitely going to play a part here, and not just in regards to Blake and Adam.


	26. Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake needs someone in the dark night. But is it Yang...or Adam?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick warning: the first third of this chapter is meant to be disturbing. Hell, it's meant to be downright terrifying. The rest of it is more fluffy, though.
> 
> Also warning: I'm going to try and keep updating every two days, but it may stretch out occasionally to significantly longer. I've got some ideas for "Love Hurts," and I kind of feel the need to write some comedy these days. (We certainly can use some.) And I'm starting to work my way towards the Battle of Beacon in "On RWBY Wings," which means body counts, favorite characters getting killed, air combat all over the place, Maiden powers (sort of)...
> 
> So if you don't see any updates for a few days, it's not because I've quit the story or anything; just got a lot of irons in the fire.

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_A Few Hours Later_

“No, Adam…they’ll hear…” Blake begged. Her ears flattened against her hair as he nuzzled her neck, his tongue hot against her skin. 

“I don’t care if they hear,” he said breathlessly. He left off her neck to kiss her lips. His hands were pulling off her yukata, and she could feel his hardness against her. As her yukata whispered away, to fall around her feet, he bent down and circled each nipple into stiffness with his tongue. The heat between Blake’s legs flared and she no longer wanted to resist. She quickly pulled down her panties and stepped out of them, as he did the same with his boxers. A second later, he pushed into her, and Blake barely suppressed a scream. “Oh gods,” she moaned. He pushed her back against the wall, holding her by her backside, as she tucked a leg behind his back.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he puffed out. It had been so long, she reflected, and both were inflamed with each other; there was no thought of being slow. There was no time. He thrust into her hard, and she pushed back, grabbing his muscular rear and trying to push Adam even deeper into her. 

Blake could feel the pressure building. It was so fast, faster than usual, but he knew how to do that to her. She reached up and grabbed his mask. “No,” he begged, the only time Adam would beg for anything. “Don’t. I don’t want you to see.”

“I want to see,” she said, with a predatory smile. “I want to see your eyes when you come in me.”

“Please—“ he repeated, but Blake took off the mask. The SDC scar over his left eye was familiar, and she managed to kiss it, to try and take the pain away, but then she realized his right eye, instead of being the beautiful, flawless blue she was used to, was red, with a black sclera, like Salem’s. Oddly, Blake did not recoil from the sight, but it aroused her even more, if that was possible. 

Adam began to growl, in the back of his throat, which happened sometimes when he was close, but his growls became more gutteral, and deeper. To Blake’s surprise, she was growling too, which she never did—sometimes, when they were alone away from others, she would scream; sometimes she would purr—but now she was growling along with him. Her growls sounded oddly familiar, like a Grimm—and then she watched as his features became more bestial, fangs growing between his lips, his hair becoming wilder and more black than red. Then Blake noticed that her own arms, clasped behind Adam’s neck now, were turning black, fur roiling up and down them.

Suddenly Adam threw back his head and howled like a Beowulf, and she felt him pulse and ejaculate into her. Blake could no longer contain herself, and matched his howl with one of her own, hers higher, more like a scream than a howl, and she came with an intensity she’d never known before. He pulled away from her then, still hard, his seed dripping to the floor, running down her legs, and moved aside so she could see what was behind him. 

Beyond him, tied to trees with barbed wire, was Team RWBY. They were naked, their clothes in tatters, bleeding. Ruby looked at Blake with pleading eyes. “Blake, please. Please stop! It hurts!”

“Why are you doing this?” Weiss cried. “You’re our friend!”

“She _was_ your friend,” Adam corrected with an evil, satanic grin. “Now she’s mine again. The way it should be.” He took her hand—paw, now. “Isn’t that true, Blake?”

Blake felt her lips curl back from pointed teeth. “Yesss,” she hissed. 

In the center was Yang. Blake hesitated at her; Yang said nothing, but tears drifted down her beautiful face. 

“Kill her,” Adam said. “Kill them all.”

Blake felt herself getting aroused again. The thought of murdering Team RWBY was turning her on. She would start with Yang. She would feed on her first.

“Kill her!” Adam ordered. “ _KILL HER!”_

Yang closed her eyes as Blake leapt for her throat.

Blake’s eyes snapped open and she felt herself choking. She gasped for breath, out of sheer terror. She jumped out of her bed, her heart threatening to hammer out of her chest. Frantically, Blake looked for something to grab, something to stop the panic. The only thing close was a pillow, damp with sweat, but she grabbed it like a life preserver, then sat on her bed, clasping it to her chest, rocking back and forth, trying to get herself under control.

Finally, she was able to slow her breathing down, and her heart. She was still shaking like a leaf, but it was a marginal improvement. She hugged the pillow. She’d had erotic dreams about Adam before, even after she’d left him. This was nothing like that. Blake put a hand beneath the waistband of her panties, and could feel the moisture on her folds. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

She couldn’t be alone. She had to talk to someone. Since she was home, the logical thing to do would be to speak to her parents…but Blake wasn’t ready to admit to anyone, not even her mother, that she’d had a wet dream that had gone horribly wrong. 

And that left Yang.

The Belladonna Lodge was big enough that there were several guest rooms. Summer and Tai were in one, Weiss and Ruby in the other. Blake had offered Yang her own room, but Yang had just said she’d sleep on the couch; this was Blake’s house, and it seemed wrong to take her room from her on her first night home.

She tied her yukata tighter and crept down the stairs, quiet as possible; this was a Faunus house, with ears far more sensitive than human ones. She walked to the couch, where Yang was sprawled over it, one foot on the floor, the other on the back of the couch, snoring away softly. “Yang,” Blake whispered. Nothing. “Yang!” Blake said, a little louder.

Yang coughed, sniffed, and opened one eye slowly. “Erhmm?” Then the other eye. “Oh…hey there, Blakey.”

“Yang…” Blake got closer and knelt next to her. “I need to talk to you. Right now.”

She came fully awake; Huntress training did that. “What? What is it?” Ember Celica lay on the coffee table, and Yang reached for the gauntlets.

“Nothing like that. I…” Now Blake felt stupid. “I had a bad dream.” Yang snorted, and put a hand over her mouth to stop laughing. That pissed the Faunus girl off. “Fine, never mind.” She got up and began to head back to her room.

Yang threw off her blanket and came after her. “Blake, I’m sorry. It’s just that—“

“—I sounded like an idiot.” She shook her head. “Yang, go back to sleep. I’m being dumb.”

“Nah.” Yang thumbed towards the balcony. “Let’s go talk about it. Will talking out there wake up your folks?”

“It should be all right. They sleep on the other side of the lodge.” Blake grabbed Yang’s blanket, while Yang rummaged in the refrigerator. She came out with two Sunflower Pops, which had enough sugar and caffeine in them to raise the dead. It really wasn’t something Blake needed, but she took it all the same; her throat was dry. 

It was warmer than they’d thought outside; a pleasant night, with the smell of the ocean mixing with the smell of the pines. Blake draped the blanket over the railing as Yang popped the caps off against it. Yang whistled. “Man, this is beautiful. You grew up here?”

Blake was already feeling better: the view of a sleeping (mostly sleeping) Menagerie and the ocean, and a good friend to enjoy it with, was a big help. “Uh-huh.” She leaned against the railing. “I’d missed this view.” She missed a lot of things. _What an idiot I’ve been._

Yang took a drink and smacked her lips in satisfaction. “So. Bad dream.”

Blake toyed with the bottle and debated making up some story about Grimm chasing her through the woods or something. But Yang wouldn’t believe that: Huntresses, true Huntresses like Summer Rose, didn’t have bad dreams about Grimm. No, the truth would have to do. “I dreamed about Adam.”

“Yeah?”

She felt her cheeks burning. “He…was making love to me.” Blake checked herself. “No, that’s not right. He was…fucking me.”

Yang’s eyebrows rose and she gave Blake a thumbs-up. “And that’s a _bad_ dream? Yeah, the way you described him, he’s a total asshole, but you can still enjoy a dream. Heck, I dreamed about Cardin once.”

“Gross. And you weren’t in love with Cardin.”

“Gods, no.”

“That part…” Blake smiled in spite of herself. “Okay, that part was kind of okay. Adam’s a prick, but he at least was good in the sack. But then…something really weird happened. He started transforming. _I_ started transforming. It’s like we became Grimm. And then…” Blake took a deep breath of warm air. “And then you, Weiss and Ruby were there. You were tied to trees, naked. Adam told me I belonged to him, and told me to slaughter you. And I was going to, Yang. Starting with you. I wanted it. I wanted it so bad that it turned me on.”

“Whoa.” Yang looked worriedly at Blake. “I didn’t think that sort of thing…you know…”

“It _doesn’t!_ ” Blake exclaimed, then dropped her voice again. “It doesn’t. I’ve never liked killing people. I don’t even like killing Grimm. It’s my job, and I admit I like _beating_ Grimm, but I’ve never took any joy in killing. I mean, that’s why I left the White Fang.”

“Okay, okay.” Yang took another pull at the pop. “We all have weird dreams, Blake. But they’re just dreams. I don’t know if it’s a hidden message or anything. Dad used to tell me after I’d have a bad dream that it was just the brain getting rid of corrupted data or something.” She shrugged. “Makes perfect sense to me, really. Coming here made you think of Adam. You’re still a little bit in love with the guy, and so your brain decides that you’re lonely and you need some release. And since he was your only boyfriend, it was him. And since you used to be a thing, Dream Adam said you belonged to him. Which is total bullshit, but it was your brain ditching that bad data.” Yang grinned. “I mean, it could’ve been worse. It could’ve been Weiss.”

Blake stared at her, then grinned back. “Or your dad.”

Yang stuck her tongue out. “Gad. That’s sick, Blake. Eww.” She drank more of the pop, swished it around her mouth, and spit it out over the balcony. Then she threw Blake a sly look. “Though, now that you mention it… _your_ dad is hot as hell.”

“What?” Blake nearly spit her pop over the balcony too.

“Yeah! I mean, that chest of his…woo. Not even Sun could compare with that. And his muscles? His biceps are bigger than my head. If he wasn’t a married man…”

Blake looked a bit green. “You’re joking.”

Yang laughed. “Yeah, I am. But your mom is a lucky woman.”

“You just said that to make me laugh. The part with Weiss, too.” At Yang’s nod, Blake shook her head, smiling. “Thanks, Yang.” She took a drink. “Okay, Dr. Filly, explain the Grimm part and me wanting to kill you.”

“The Grimm part’s easy. We did just have a run-in with Salem,” Yang reminded her. “As for wanting to kill us, I dunno. Latent Faunus instincts? I’m not being racist or whatever, but maybe?”

“Doubtful, but go on.”

“I know you, Blake. You’ve always been scared to lose control. And you’re a predator—heck, we all are, right? Remember Port’s lecture about how we hunt too, humans and Faunus, because the way our eyes face forward? You’re afraid of losing control of your predator instincts, and your brain kinda showed you what would happen if you did.” Yang shrugged. “Or maybe it was just a stupid dream.”

Blake took one last drink. She hated to waste the pop, but if she drank all of it, she’d be bouncing off the walls. Kali loved Sunflower Pop, but even she was careful to have one a day every now and then. Blake poured the rest out. “Yeah…maybe it was just a stupid dream.”

“I’ve had weird dreams too.” Yang finished her bottle. She needed to cheer Blake up, and make her forget. “The one with Cardin? I was getting reamed out by Cardin in the middle of that floating arena thing Atlas has—Amity Arena? And it wasn’t rape; I was enjoying it. And while he was doing it, everyone was cheering us on. Freaky stuff. But then he picked me up and flung me off the cliff into the Forever Fall Forest. And then I woke up.” She laughed again. “On the floor. I fell out of the top bunk. Lucky I didn’t break something. Thank the gods for Auras.”

“Oh, that’s why you were on the floor that time.” Blake grabbed the blanket. “Yang…thanks. You really made me feel a little better.” She turned around. "We should probably get some sleep. I think I'll be okay now."

“No prob.” As they walked back into the house, Yang asked, “Hey. You want me to stay with you tonight? Just in case?”

Blake smiled. “That sounds like the lead in to a bad fanfic, Yang. I invite you up, we end up in bed together, things happen, we get naked—“

“I’m liking this fic so far,” Yang interrupted.

Blake snickered. It was impossible to get Yang Xiao Long to be serious. “Sure, why not. No fanfic, though. Just don’t take all the covers or I’ll kick you onto the floor.”

“No promises. And no fanfic.” Yang grabbed her things, an extra blanket, and Ember Celica, then followed Blake upstairs. She hadn’t seen Blake’s room before. “Oh, this is nice!” She jogged over to the window. “Love the view.” Yang looked around the room. “No boy band pictures or anything?”

“Never got into them.” The only decoration was a picture of a beach. “Mom might’ve redecorated while I was gone.” Blake got some fresh pillows from the closet and turned back the bed. She stuffed the pillows in the middle of the bed. “Here, so I don’t slay you in the middle of the night.”

“Aww.” Yang flopped on the bed, which meant Blake had to reposition the pillows. She switched off the light and climbed between the covers. 

And without warning, she began to shake again. It was as if the light had been holding the demons at bay, and when it was off, they were ready for her again. “Fuck,” she breathed, gripping her fingers, trying to get back some control. 

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Hey. You okay?”

“I don’t know…it’s weird. Can’t stop shaking.”

Yang grabbed the pillows and flung them to the floor, then grabbed Blake around the waist. “You’re not alone, Blake. We’re here. Your folks are here, my mom and dad are here, and Team RWBY is here. Not even Salem could beat us.”

“Adam’s worse than Salem.” When Yang started to snicker, she elbowed the brawler. “He is, Yang. Salem didn’t know my weaknesses. She couldn’t do this—“ she held up her still-shaking hands “—to me. He’s out there, Yang, and it’s not a question of if he comes after me, but when.”

“Yeah? Let the motherfucker try.” Blake could feel the temperature rise behind her, which meant her friend was getting upset. “He’s this hot-shit swordsman? Let’s see how hot he is after I ram Ember Celica down his fucking throat. Let’s see how hot he is when Rubes puts Crescent Rose through his fucking _dick._ My sister fights dirty, you know. Or how hot he is when Weiss freezes him. Or Mom uses her freaky silver eyes. Or Dad punches him. Or _your_ dad punches him. I can keep going.” She hugged Blake tighter. “That’s what this asshole wants, Blakey. He wants you to be afraid of him. He wants you to keep thinking about him, so when he does jump, you’ll freak out. Well, _don’t._ We got your back, Blake.”

“I know, I know,” Blake murmured. “So why can’t I stop?” She felt tears well up. “Godsdammit, _no._ I am not going to be a weepy little bitch!”

“No, you’re not!” Yang agreed. “You’re a tough Faunus bitch! You’re Blake Fucking Belladonna! You beat up Roman Torchwick! You wipe out entire species of tuna!”

“Then why the hell am I still _shaking?”_ Blake shrilled, barely able to keep her voice from waking up anyone in the house. 

Yang wasn’t sure what else to do. She’d talked to Blake. She’d hugged her. She’d called her a tough bitch. Somehow, Yang needed to get her friend’s mind off Adam Taurus. And all else having failed, Yang steeled herself to take one for the team. 

Yang’s hands pulled open the top of the yukata and grabbed both of Blake’s breasts. Blake stopped shaking, mainly because she was now in shock. “Yang? What the fuck?”

“Let’s do this,” Yang said.

“Let’s do what?”

“Write a bad fanfic.” Her fingers moved up the bare breasts, almost as if milking them, and tweaked at the nipples. “I’m going to get your mind off Shithead.”

“By…doing _that?”_

“I can’t think of anything else. Talking’s not getting through to you.”

“But Yang…I don’t…” Blake gave a start. Yang knew her way around nipples, apparently, which made perfect sense, since she had two of her own. “I told you, I don’t know if I…”

“Do you want me to stop?”

Blake paused. It did feel kind of good, but it was also Yang’s fingers on her nipples. Another girl. _But who else can I be with?_ There was no one, and certainly no one immediately available. Sun Wukong—but really, Blake didn’t know him that well, and he was in Vacuo anyway, possibly still being Salem’s boy-toy. She needed _someone_ , and Yang was there. Yang had always been there, since the first day at Beacon. “No…” Blake finally said. “You don’t have to stop.”

“Here. Let me try this.” Yang slipped out from hugging Blake, pulled the Faunus to her feet, and took off her yukata. That got Blake to start trembling again, because now she was standing in front of Yang wearing only her panties, her breasts on full display. Yang winked at her, and sat down on the bed, her legs open. “Here. Sit down.”

“Um…okay.” She sat down, and Yang drew her back so she lay against her friend, whose copious breasts were now against her back. “Now what?”

“Now you relax, Blakey.” Yang started massaging her shoulders, her strong fingers digging into the tense muscles. She gently moved Blake’s head around, which lessened the tension in her neck, then rubbed her arms. While Yang would never make it as a masseur, she did just well enough. “That’s not bad,” Blake said softly.

“Doing my best.” Yang moved around to the front, and softly squeezed Blake’s breasts. “Okay. If you want, I’ll go farther than this. I’ve never done this to another girl, but I’ve done it to me plenty of times, and…it does help.”

Blake knew what Yang was talking about. “I’m familiar with the process, Yang. But…if we do this…we’ll be…”

“We’ll be what we’ll be. No strings, Blakey. This is just for you tonight, okay?”

Blake hesitated again, torn. She could tell Yang to stop, and try to sleep. Or she could tell Yang to keep going. She knew her motor was running. And it wasn’t just because Yang was there; if it had been Weiss or, gods forbid, Ruby, she would’ve already asked them to stop.

But it was Yang. 

“I guess it’s okay,” Blake whispered. “Yang…if you…please…go farther.”

Yang kissed her shoulder. “O-Okay.” To Blake’s surprise, now Yang seemed a bit nervous. Her fingers seemed less sure as they moved down Blake’s flat stomach to the waistband of her panties. 

“Do you want me to take them off?” Blake asked.

“Y…yeah. Just a little.” Blake eased them down to her knees. They were both trembling now. 

Yang’s fingers slid down the coarse hairs, parting them, searching for the little nub atop her folds—and found it. Blake sucked in her breath. “Let me know if I’m too rough or whatever,” Yang said quietly.

“No…you’re good.” She felt Yang rub at her clitoris; Blake felt suddenly hyperaware, as if she could feel each whorl of Yang’s fingertips on that sensitive spot. Then the fingers dipped lower, sliding on the slickness of Blake’s labia. “Whoa,” Yang murmured, “you’re wet.” Blake didn’t answer, didn’t trust herself to answer. She gave a soft groan as she felt the fingers on her entrance. Then she arched her back involuntarily when two of those fingers slipped in. They curled upwards, and Blake gave a sharp cry. Both froze, waiting to hear movement, or noise that someone had heard. It was torment for Blake: both were afraid to move, but Yang’s fingers were still in her, and brushing against a spot even more sensitive than her clitoris. She whined and pushed herself against them. 

“I think we’re clear,” Yang said, and started again. She went slow at first, then gradually picked up the pace; her other hand was busy, touching a nipple, then cupping a breast, then leaving feather touches down Blake’s flanks. Blake was making mewling noises, a _mmmnnnh_ that rose in frequency and intensity. She was forcing Yang’s fingers deeper, as she had Adam in her dream, consciously trying to drive out the latter thoughts for the better present ones. Her rear began to come off the bed, and Blake, who had been gritting her teeth and groaning, suddenly opened her mouth in what Yang knew was going to be a scream. She quickly slapped her free hand across Blake’s mouth as the Faunus tensed up, gave one last _“Mmmmnnngghh!”_ and hit her limit. Yang tightened her grip as Blake practically howled into her hand, her backside now completely off the bed, transfixed as Yang felt her orgasm. Blake’s tongue flicked out to lick at the fingers, then she slowly subsided to the bed, hanging her head as Yang withdrew her fingers, Blake still twitching below. 

“Okay?” Yang asked.

“More than okay,” Blake replied, catching her breath. “Wow.”

“Well, that’s what works on me.” Yang dried both fingers on the bedcovers. She got up, handed Blake her yukata, then crawled in next to her. Blake pulled up her underwear and put the yukata back on. She felt utterly exhausted all of a sudden, the adrenaline rush and the panic both gone. 

“Yang…I still don’t…”

“Blake,” Yang sighed, “for once in your life, stop worrying about tomorrow. Like I said, we’ll be who we’ll be. We’re still friends, right?”

“Definitely.” Blake yawned. She craved sleep, but it wasn’t fair. “You sure you don’t want me to…”

“Nah. You can owe me one. Or something.” To her surprise, Yang really wasn’t all that turned on. It wasn’t because she didn’t think Blake was pretty—she was gorgeous, which left Yang questioning her sexuality yet once more—but it was because tonight was for her friend. Blake needed it, not Yang, and even if Yang did want Blake to reciprocate, the Faunus needed sleep desperately. 

Yang began stroking Blake’s hair, and sang a little tune she remembered Summer singing to her. Blake was asleep in less than a minute, curling up against Blake like the kitten in her mother’s photos. Yang kissed her forehead. “I don’t know where this is going,” she whispered, “but I’m glad it was with you, Blakey.” Then Yang yawned herself, and fell asleep with a smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, some Bumblebee. Yep, I'm loyal to my ships. Not to say there might not be some Black Sun eventually. Plus we need to find Weiss someone. 
> 
> Oh yeah. And Menagerie has nude beaches...


	27. Obsession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Team RWBY and company settle in at the Belladonnas, Sienna Khan learns about them. With the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company within reach, she has to strike. But she's going to be subtle about it, and for that, she needs her best lieutenants: Ilia Amitola and Adam Taurus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad guy chapter! Not a lot of humor here (other than Sienna being frustrated and apparently having a taste for threesomes herself), but now we're moving forward to more serious things. That's what happens when this thing stopped being a comedy...

_The House of the High Leader_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_The Next Morning_

Sienna Khan relaxed in her copious bathtub and idly played with the bubbles that covered her. It was a carefully kept secret of the White Fang: their High Leader enjoyed bubble baths. Sienna felt she’d earned them: though she rarely took to the field these days, leaving that to her subordinates, she had when she was a bit younger. Having come up hard, like many Faunus, she enjoyed the perks of being High Leader.

Because the White Fang were not officially outlawed on Menagerie, despite the Belladonnas’ best efforts and unlike the rest of Remnant, Sienna could move around openly as well, as could her operatives. The latter had to be careful, however: the White Fang, like several terrorist organizations, had a legitimate political wing and an underground one that did the dirty work. Even though exactly no one was fooled by it, Sienna could claim to have no idea what “fanatics” like Adam Taurus did, and even if Faunus didn’t believe it, they paid lip service to it. Somewhat above half were sympathetic to the White Fang, and the rest were too afraid to stop them. Only a few dared to defy Sienna, the Belladonnas among them, but they were too well-liked to eliminate—for now, she reassured herself.

Sienna soaped her arms. It was a shame, she reflected. She respected Ghira and Kali, even liked them in her own way. They were simply blind. They believed the humans would respect them if the Faunus chose peace, but Sienna rejected that: humans respected only naked force and the willingness to use it. And though sometimes Adam and Faunus like him could be excessive, there was usefulness in that as well. Fear was a powerful motivator. 

Someone knocked on her door. Kali’s left hand drifted down to the side of the tub, where her Cereberus Whip lay coiled. Assassination was always something she had to be careful of—not so much from her own people, but from Faunus who strayed from the White Fang’s path, or those bribed by humans. “Who is it?” she growled.

“Ilia Amitola, High Leader. I have urgent news.”

“Can it wait until after my bath?”

“No, High Leader.”

Sienna sighed. Always after she had just settled in. “Very well; come in.” 

Ilia opened the door, came in, and knelt respectfully. She was slight in build, with reddish hair that coiled behind her. She did not wear her mask; Sienna was not fond of masks when at her residence; it was humans they were hiding from, not Faunus. “High Leader, I bring news.”

“Yes, I got that. Must I wait for it?”

Ilia kept her eyes downcast. Sienna was not someone to provoke. “My apologies, High Leader.” She looked up, and Sienna was surprised to see pain in the liquid green eyes. “Blake Belladonna has returned to Menagerie. She’s at her parents’ lodge.”

Sienna was silent for a moment. “Not good. We’ll have to go after her.” She watched Ilia carefully, and was not disappointed. Despite Ilia’s ability to camouflage herself, a Semblance given her by her chameleon heritage, she was a terrible card player. Sienna had long known that Ilia was madly in love with Blake Belladonna, but the love wasn’t reciprocated. 

“Must we, High Leader?” Ilia blurted, then bowed her head again, nearly to the floor. “Forgive me, ma’am.”

“No, that’s all right,” Sienna replied. “Unfortunately, yes, Ilia, we must go after her. Blake is a traitor to our cause. We can’t suffer traitors to live. If we do, others might get the same idea.” _Like you,_ Sienna thought. Ilia’s divided loyalty was going to get her killed. “As I said, it’s unfortunate. I personally don’t care about the Belladonna girl; as long as she was at Beacon, she was no threat unless she interfered with the plan.” Sienna rolled her eyes. “Which is officially dead anyway.”

Ilia’s coloring slightly shifted, which to those that knew her, indicated shock. “High Leader?”

“Yes,” Sienna snarled involuntarily, “Salem contacted me a few days ago. How she got my number, I have no idea, but I suppose things like her have a way of learning. She’s made peace with this Professor Ozpin person, and therefore the White Fang’s services are no longer necessary.” Sienna snorted. “Hmpf. Like we needed that undead bitch’s permission.”

Ilia could not help but look up. “Does that mean…we _won’t_ be assaulting Beacon?”

“We will not. Which frankly, is probably a good thing. It frees up assets to attack less defended targets. And it also means we don’t have to work with that moron of a thief.” Sienna smiled at Ilia. “You’re happy about that, aren’t you? Because of Blake.”

“My feelings for Blake will not—“

“Oh yes, they will,” Sienna snapped. “In fact, Ilia, you’re probably thinking right now about going and warning her. That would be very bad—for you _and_ her. Because the moment Blake shows her face publicly—and in fact she probably already has—I have no choice but to kill her. And killing her means I have to eliminate her parents, which is something I’d rather avoid if I can help it. We’re not ready to kill Ghira and Kali Belladonna. Not yet.” She leaned back against the cool stone of the tub. “Gods, this is the last thing I need right now. Does Adam know yet?”

“No, High Leader. I’ve yet to tell him.”

“Good. Don’t. I’ll handle him. He’ll find out eventually, but hopefully I can control him, the lovesick idiot.”

Ilia looked pained. “He doesn’t know, but he is waiting for you in the audience chamber.”

“Fuck. Of _course_ he is. He couldn’t stay away three more hours, could he?” Sienna got out of the tub; there was no point in putting it off. “If I know Adam, he’ll go after her immediately, the damned fool. Did anyone else come with Blake?” She pulled a towel off the rack and began drying herself. Ilia stood, though she kept her eyes down. Sienna knew Ilia was a lesbian, but only had eyes for Blake; Sienna was considered to be quite attractive by any standards, human and Faunus, but Ilia didn’t so much as sneak a look. Sienna herself was straight, but she felt a little miffed. _What is it about the Belladonna girl that drives Faunus crazy? I know that’s not her Semblance._

“Yes, High Leader.” Ilia paused, because this news was just as bad. “The rest of Blake’s team from Beacon are there as well. Team RWBY—“

“Students? Well, that’s hardly a threat.”

“There’s more,” Ilia continued. “A Huntsman and a Huntress—Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose. Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long’s parents.” 

The last two names meant nothing to Sienna, but she’d heard of both Taiyang and Summer, more the latter. “That’s strange; I heard Summer Rose died years ago. That does complicate things; Ghira and Kali are bad enough.” As she dried off, Sienna did some mental calculations. Ghira and Kali were tough on their own, but two fully trained Huntsmen/Huntresses could be very bad news. Not only would they be hard to defeat, killing them might just bring the wrath of other realms. The White Fang could only go so far: once they became an actual, high-level military threat, Atlas would be more than happy to unleash their full military might on the Fang and Menagerie. It would rally more Faunus to Sienna’s side, for all the good it would do when Ironwood’s battleships were blasting their island into glass.

Ilia’s coloring turned still darker. “It gets worse, High Leader.” She took a deep breath; Sienna _really_ wasn’t going to like this. “Team RWBY is made up of Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, and…Weiss Schnee.”

Sienna dropped her towel. “You’re kidding me.” Ilia shook her head, and Sienna slammed a fist into the wall. “Fuck, shit, piss and corruption! Now we _have_ to attack!” Sienna wouldn’t be able to hold anyone back now, much less Adam. Having the Schnee heiress so close at hand would enrage the White Fang rank and file; they’d want Weiss dead to revenge themselves on the Schnee Dust Company. And Sienna, deep down, agreed with them. Killing Weiss Schnee was one of the few ways they could actually hurt Jacques Schnee.

Sienna threw on a bathrobe. “Ilia, go wait for me in the audience chamber. Tell Adam I’ll be there presently.” She tied the bathrobe on and drained the bathtub, as Ilia bowed and left. Sienna fumed for a moment, then began walking towards the audience chamber, taking the long way around. On the way, she ran into Fennec and Corsac Albain, who bowed politely as she came close. “Greetings, High Leader. We bring news from the Belladonnas—“

“Is it about Blake?” she asked, still walking.

They looked surprised. “Why, yes, how did you—“

Sienna breezed past. “Fennec, I want you in my bedchamber in thirty minutes. Corsac, you too. I am going to be in need of serious sex. And both of you better be naked by the time I get there.” She left them in her wake. She’d “entertained” the Albain brothers at the same time in the past, when she was in a truly evil mood. She was feeling that mood come on now. Bad enough Ilia was pining for her childhood friend. Bad enough Adam was going to blow a fuse when he learned that _his_ obsession was on Menagerie. It was infinitely worse that Weiss Schnee, completely without thought, was forcing her hand to an all-out attack on the Belladonna Lodge.

Then again, Sienna thought, perhaps that wasn’t as bad as it looked. Weiss Schnee being the guest of the Belladonnas would hurt them in the eyes of the Faunus as a whole; there was a reason why Menagerie was on the opposite side of the planet from Atlas. The Schnees were universally despised, not for the least of which that it had been Nicholas Schnee that had granted the Faunus their island—and named it. Menagerie was Mistrali for _zoo._

Maybe it was time to wipe out the Belladonnas after all.

She entered the audience chamber. Her guards, dressed the same as the Albain brothers, snapped to attention, their spears at the ready. Ilia and Adam Taurus knelt before the throne as Sienna gave them a brief bow, then sat. “Greetings, High Leader,” Adam said.

Sienna fought down the urge to kick him. She didn’t hate Adam Taurus by any means; in some ways, she liked him immensely. He was one of the best warriors she’d ever seen, deadly with his sword and scabbard, Wilt and Blush. Though Sienna might be the White Fang’s brains, Adam was its arms, and she freely admitted that the reason why the White Fang terrified humans was largely due to Adam. He had blind spots, however—too many of them, in Sienna’s opinion.

It also aggravated her that she’d never slept with him. She’d made the offer plain enough, but he was still in love with Blake Belladonna. And Sienna wanted him: Adam was lean, muscular, and even with the mask that he always wore, devilishly good looking. She thought about loosening her bathrobe: she was naked beneath it, and from his position below the dais, he would see everything if she uncrossed her legs. But no, she thought to herself, the dumbass would never stray from Blake.

Which brought her to the problem at hand. “You returned from Vale, then. Any losses?”

“Yes, High Leader,” Adam replied. “Not significant ones. A few at the docks at the hands of a Faunus named Sun Wukong, Ironwood’s pet robot—a girl named Penny—and…Blake Belladonna.” Sienna heard the growl behind the voice—a growl filled with both anger and loss. “My understanding is the attack on Beacon has been called off.”

“For now,” Sienna informed him. “Our ‘patron,’ Salem, has made peace with the realms, for some reason. But she’s secondary now. We have other problems, more immediate ones, right here in Menagerie.” She paused, glanced at the ceiling and the heavens beyond for strength, and said it. “Blake Belladonna is back here. She’s at her parents’ lodge as we speak.”

If nothing else, Sienna was glad she got to see Adam look flustered. His mouth dropped open in shock for a moment, and his everpresent grip on Wilt loosened. “What are…what are your plans?” he stammered.

“What are _yours?_ ” A smile quirked Sienna’s lips. 

“That…would depend,” Adam said. He was a lousy card player as well, mask or no mask. “On the High Leader’s orders.”

“No, Adam, that depends on _you_.” Sienna did uncross her legs then, and sat with her feet flat on the floor. He could look if he wanted, though he was going to have to squint. “Do you intend to go woo her? Try to get her back? Don’t lie to me and tell me you’re going to kill her, because you’re not.”

“She is a traitor to our cause,” Adam stated, though there wasn’t much conviction in it.

“Yes, she is. And we kill traitors, don’t we?” Sienna admitted to herself she was enjoying watching the smug little bastard squirm. “Relax, Adam. I’m not going to order you to kill her.” She sighed, longer this time. “Though we won’t have much choice, I’m afraid. Weiss Schnee is there as well.” She saw the shock and anger travel through her guards, and then to Adam. The left side of his face twitched; she knew that was the side of the scar that marred the otherwise perfect face. “I would rather not launch an all-out attack on the Belladonnas—not yet.”

“Why not, High Leader?” Ilia asked, the first time she’d spoken since Sienna had entered the chamber.

“Because not all the Faunus follow us, and killing the Belladonnas could cost us support. Moreover, Adam, Blake and the Schnee girl are not alone. They have their team with them—“

“A bunch of mere students,” Adam growled, “with minimal experience—“

“Their parents damned sure aren’t,” Sienna shot back. “Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose. I’ve heard of them, and if I’ve heard of them, it’s because they’re good.”

Adam looked a little surprised. “Summer Rose? I’ve heard of her as well, vaguely. I thought she was dead.”

“As did I, but unless Salem resurrected her somehow, she’s alive and she’s here. We attack the Lodge, we face this Team RWBY, two trained Hunters, and Ghira and Kali. We’d lose a lot of people making the assault, with no guarantee of victory. And even if we _do_ succeed, I’m quite sure Jacques Schnee would have little trouble convincing General Ironwood and the Atlesian military to wipe us out, root and branch.” She leaned back in the throne. “So you see my problem, I hope.”

“I do.” Adam massaged his chin with a gloved hand. “Somehow, we must strike, but we must do so smartly.” He nodded. “Then we must exercise patience, High Leader.”

Sienna’s eyebrows rose. “Patience? From you?”

“I know my reputation,” Adam laughed, “but you’re entirely correct. The odds are not in our favor. So let’s wait until they are.” He began to pace, energy needing to be expended. “The Belladonnas must be discredited. We will spread rumors in the bazaar that Ghira is entertaining Weiss Schnee. Once the rumors get going, the Faunus will demand to know why. He will have to explain, which should be interesting to watch. Once Ghira has lost the loyalty of the Faunus, he can be eliminated—or simply isolated—at our leisure.”

Sienna smiled. “An excellent idea, Adam. And something tells me that Summer and Taiyang are here for pleasure rather than business. Should they separate themselves from the rest, we can eliminate them as well.”

Ilia spoke up. “High Leader, I advise caution. They are well-trained, as you say, and more than likely have some link to Beacon.”

Adam laughed, this time without any humor at all. “I’m not afraid of Ozpin. He’s a cripple. Besides, while Salem may have cancelled her plans, this Cinder Fall at Beacon is not the type to merely quit. She is mad with power, so Ozpin will have other things on his mind than two Hunters.” He held up a finger. “Nonetheless, Ilia is right that we should use caution. Sooner or later, they will drop their guard.”

“And then we have them.” Sienna gave a short nod. “Very well, Adam; I leave this in your hands. Once the Belladonnas are discredited, and Summer and Taiyang killed, we can then discuss what to do about the Schnee girl—whether we kill her or kidnap her. She might be a valuable hostage.”

“And Blake?” Adam wanted to know.

“Her as well. With her parents gone or isolated, her team in ruins…she might come back to you voluntarily, Adam. She will have nowhere else to go.”

“That would be preferable.”

“Good!” Sienna stood. “Dispatch a team to follow Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long, and kill them when they believe it possible; put Perry on it. He’s been itching to use that chainsaw of his anyway. Start spreading the rumors—Ilia, that will be your job. Adam, I want you here for now, but when we make the assault, if it’s necessary, you will lead it. If you go out now, you might attract unwanted attention.”

Adam bowed. “By your command, High Leader.”

Sienna felt a thrill run up her spine. Oh, how she wanted to hear him say that in her bedchamber. There was still time, should an unfortunate accident befall Blake Belladonna. _By the gods,_ she thought, _I’m just as bad for Adam as Ilia is for Blake. Well, a shish-kebab from the Albains should drive those thoughts away for awhile._ The Albains were no Adam Taurus, but they had their advantages. “Dismissed. And thank you.” She returned their bows, and strode from the chamber.

Adam and Ilia left as well, walking down the long hallway that led to the entrance. He stopped. “Ilia. What do you plan to do?”

Ilia stopped as well, confused. “Obey the High Leader. Planting rumors in the bazaar should not be difficult.”

“Were you planning on warning Blake?”

She shook her head. “No, Adam. Yes, I thought about it, but this plan needs to work.”

He reached out and caressed her cheek. “You want Blake as much as I do, don’t you?”

Ilia stared at him, unflinching, hating him. “Yes.” There was no point in denying it. “Possibly more so.”

“Oh, I doubt that.” He withdrew his hand, back to his sword hilt. “But possibly, perhaps. A shame that you’ve never been with Blake.” Her color went dark red, which meant she was seconds from drawing her Lightning Lash at her back. He put up a hand. “I apologize. That came out wrong. Because it _is_ a shame, Ilia. Perhaps, after Blake comes back, we can…share. If Blake’s amenable, of course.”

Ilia’s hopes soared. The idea of being naked in the same room as Adam made her guts churn, but an arrangement might be made. Blake would be much more amenable to make love to Ilia than she would Adam, that was for certain. And if the Brother Gods were merciful, this son of a bitch would die somewhere along the way, she thought. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all.” Adam was pleased that he kept a straight face. He didn’t intend to share Blake with anyone, and he doubted Blake would sleep with her childhood friend in any case; she didn’t swing that way. He felt sorry for Ilia, but not that sorry.

They resumed walking. “Ilia,” Adam said, “I intend to help you isolate the Belladonnas, Blake in particular. The High Leader didn’t exactly say to do that, but she didn’t _not_ say it, did she?” He smiled. 

“How do you intend to do so?”

“By dividing them. Going after Team RWBY. The Schnee heiress issue will take care of itself, and Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long will be heartbroken at the loss of their parents. However, I know of their allies from my time at Vale. There is one Faunus in particular we need to get rid of—Sun Wukong.”

The name wasn’t familiar to Ilia. “Where is he and why?”

“It seems that Sun believes himself to be Blake’s new boyfriend, at least according to what Cinder Fall’s associates told me.” He was watching Ilia out of the corner of his usuable eye; she darkened with rage and jealousy again. “Luckily, he’s in Vacuo at the moment, and it will be quite easy to instruct the White Fang cell there to kill Mr. Wukong. That’s Octavia’s cell; she’s quite skilled at silent killing.”

“To eliminate a rival for Blake’s affections?” Ilia fought down a smile; she might be easy to read, but so was Adam, at least when it came to Blake.

“From what I understand, he’s hardly a rival, but no—more to demoralize Team RWBY. We’ll make sure they find out about it.”

“How?”

Adam tapped the hilt of his sword. “I was thinking of having Octavia mail Sun’s head to them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know who gave Menagerie to the Faunus or who named it, but having a Schnee do it makes a certain cruel sense. And terrorist organizations often do operate exactly like the White Fang is described here IRL.
> 
> I may catch some flak for Adam's portrayal here. One thing I will *not* portray Adam as, however, is stupid. He isn't, and neither is Sienna. They would be lousy villains if they were. One of the many things that got me interested in RWBY is that the villains aren't stupid most of the time--Salem in particular. They might do stupid things and pay for it (looking at you, Cinder), but on the whole, they're competent. Adam may be obsessed with Blake, and she's his blind spot...but in this story, at least, he's going to be smart about it. 
> 
> And that's bad news for Team RWBY, Summer, Taiyang and Sun...


	28. Paint It Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kali tells Summer of a nice, secluded, clothing optional beach in Menagerie, so Summer and Tai can have some alone time. Unfortunately, the White Fang know they're going to be there too. And in Vacuo, Sun Wukong's about to get a visitor. Several of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story really has gotten much bigger than I ever anticipated, but that's all right--I'm still having fun writing it. Even if I do find myself in the unenviable position of getting ready to write some big fight scenes in this story AND "On RWBY Wings," where the Battle of Beacon is set to start. (Yes, that's a shameless plug. Pluggity plug plug.) Oh well. Got no one to blame but myself.

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_Also the Next Morning_

Summer Rose, clad in a bathrobe provided by her hosts, came down the stairs, attracted by the smell of coffee. She saw Kali Belladonna on the balcony, poured herself a cup, and joined her. Kali turned. She was already fully dressed, Summer noted. “Good morning, Summer.”

“Good morning.” She took a sip of coffee and smiled at the tangy flavor. “This is good.”

“My own brew.” Kali motioned at the view. “And this is why I like living here.”

Summer nodded in appreciation. “It’s beautiful. Is it true Nicholas Schnee gave the Faunus this land?”

Kali shrugged. “His role’s been exaggerated by the Schnee Dust Company—Jacques wants the world to think the Schnees were behind it. Actually, Nicholas did help out quite a bit, but there were many others as well, human and Faunus. The name is Mistrali for ‘zoo,’ but that was adopted by the first settlers, as kind of a joke. It stuck.” She sighed. “Though there’s some that believe it was done deliberately by the humans.”

“The White Fang,” Summer guessed.

“Mm-hm. And I’m glad you’re a morning person—Ghira isn’t; he’ll stay in bed until noon, if I let him—because I wanted to talk to you about the White Fang.”

“Is there a problem?” Summer knew that Ghira and Kali had once led the Fang, when they were a civil rights group and not a terrorist one. 

“There could be.” Kali motioned with her head upstairs, towards where Team RWBY slept. “Weiss Schnee. It won’t be long until everyone on the island knows she’s here, and the White Fang almost certainly know—the Albain brothers, those two overofficious idiots you met yesterday, will tattle to Sienna Khan the moment they’re able to. As far as I’m concerned, any friend of Blake’s is a friend of mine, and I don’t care who her parents are. But others might not feel the same way.”

“Should we send her home, then?”

“It might not be a bad idea, for her safety.” Kali looked at her reflection in her coffee. “It’s stupid. We should not judge children for the sin of their parents.” She turned and leaned against the railing. “Summer, can I talk with you about something else? It’s more personal.”

Summer shrugged. “Sure.”

“Your daughter Yang. I think she and my daughter…might be…well…” Kali actually blushed. “I mean, it’s none of my business, really, but…”

“What do you mean?” Then Summer realized Yang was not on the couch where she’d been the night before. Either she was sleeping on the floor of Ruby’s room, or she was with Blake. “Oh.”

“I think they may have…hooked up last night. I think that’s what the kids are calling it these days. I don’t have a problem with it, really. Yang seems like a very nice girl. It’s just that Blake’s coming off a bad relationship, to say the least. I don’t want any hearts to be broken in a rebound. Maybe it was just a one night thing."

Summer smiled. “I think it’ll be okay, Kali. Yang would never hurt Blake, and vice-versa. How did you know?"

Kali pointed at her ears and laughed. "Not just for show." Then she became serious again. "I shouldn’t worry, but she’s my only one.” 

“You and Ghira never wanted more?”

Kali shook her head. “We tried. For some reason, we just couldn’t conceive. We got lucky with Blake, in so many ways. She was a model child…” she laughed “…and a hellraiser of a teenager. Well, I was no different, and neither was Ghira.” Kali picked up the coffee cup and once more motioned towards the distant bedrooms. “You are lucky. Two beautiful daughters. Though Yang doesn't look much like you."

“Yang wasn’t mine; she’s Tai’s from a previous marriage. She's still my daughter, though.” _And that’s all you need to know about that for right now, my friend,_ Summer thought. She liked Kali a great deal, but some family laundry didn’t need to be aired. “But yes.”

Kali saw the pain in Summer’s eyes and put a hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag anything up. It's clear that Yang loves you dearly." She paused. "You mentioned it was a long story.”

“I wasn’t killed, Kali. I was…displaced in time. For 13 years. I didn’t get to see my babies grow up. I only ‘got back,’ I guess you could say, last week.”

Kali drew Summer into a hug. “Oh, you poor thing. Oh gods.” She squeezed hard enough that Summer felt her Aura compensating. She hadn’t known Kali more than a day, but already she’d gotten the idea that Kali was very emotional. “Your husband, too?” Summer nodded, and suppressed a grunt as Kali hugged harder. “My gods. If I was ever separated from Ghira that long, I don’t think I could survive.”

“Tai is a very good man.”

“He must be.” Kali finally let go. “You _must_ have some time together. I tell you what. Ghira and I will handle Team RWBY today. You and your man go have some fun.” Kali pointed to a spot in the far distance, where the beach became mountain cliffs. “Just on the other side of that cliff is a beach…oh, about a mile long, I guess. It’s a clothing optional beach, if you get my meaning.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “It’s secluded, and being in the middle of the week, I’d be surprised if it was very crowded. And even better, there’s lots of little coves and inlets where you can be…alone.”

“Oh, _really?_ ” Summer said, in a conspiratorial tone. 

“I won’t say that’s where Blake got started,” Kali grinned, “but it’s one of several possibilities.”

Summer took a big drink of coffee. “Will it be safe?”

“I would imagine so. The White Fang don’t know who Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long are. They have no reason to follow you around. If anything, they’re more likely to follow us.”

Summer was tempted. Very much so. “Will Weiss be safe?”

“She’s safe as long as she’s in the lodge. I’m sure she’ll understand the danger she’s in and leave…” Kali bit her lip. “Hmm. Then again, she might be safer here. I wouldn’t put it past the White Fang to blow up an airship to kill the heir to the Schnees.” She put a hand around Summer’s waist. “We’ll figure out something, but I don’t want you worrying. You need some time with Taiyang.”

As they walked back into the house, neither noticed the briefest shimmer in the trees.

Ilia Amitola nimbly dropped down through the branches, her skin camouflaging her back into the trees, and landed easily on her feet. Perry waited for her, leaning against a broad trunk. Her skin faded back to its normal tanned tone. She was also completely naked, but that was the only way she could completely hide herself. Perry was used to it; her nudity no longer affected him. Much, anyway. He handed Ilia her jumpsuit and looked away as she dressed. “So, what’s the word?”

“I couldn’t get too close—Kali’s hearing is too good for that, and this Summer person is supposedly a really good Huntress.” Ilia zipped up the jumpsuit. “But I saw Kali pointing northeast, and from what I could hear, Summer is going there with her husband.”

“So they _are_ separating.” Perry stroked his chin in thought. “That’ll make things much easier. I’m not looking forward to attacking that lodge.”

“We’re not,” Ilia snapped. “Kali and Ghira aren’t targets.” She picked up her whip. 

“Whoa, easy,” Perry laughed. “Okay, I’ll take the two humans. Who should I take with me?”

“Adam said to take Donna, Michael, Leona, and Rafe.”

Perry blinked in surprise. “They’re all new recruits.”

“I’ll back you up. I’ll head that way as soon as I’m done in the bazaar.” Ilia rolled her eyes. “Come on, Perry. Yeah, they’re both Hunters, but that’s a nude beach. They’re probably going there to do more than sunbathe. Wait until they’re…you know…busy, and then attack.”

“Okay. What happens if we start getting our ass kicked?”

“Then retreat, dumbass. We’ll get them some other day. If they’re smart, they’ll just leave.” She motioned him to follow. “Come on. We’ve got work to do.”

“I wonder how Octavia’s mission is going?” Perry wondered.

_Vacuo Beach_

_Kingdom of Vacuo, World of Remnant_

_About the Same Time_

While it was mid-morning at Menagerie, it was getting towards evening in Vacuo. Sun Wukong sat in his bed, wondering how to spend his last night in Vacuo. He was heading back to Beacon in the morning. He’d ordered some room service for dinner, but his night was free. 

He wished Salem was here, then grinned to himself. He was probably the only person on Remnant who could say that. But he missed her. True, he admitted to himself, he probably missed Good Widow Salem other than Undead Queen of the Grimm Salem, but both were pretty great to have around. The latter was a lot more uninhibited. And it looked like his words had done some good: Salem had made peace with Ozpin right after leaving him. He’d gotten the text from Beacon. It was hard to believe that making love and speaking straight to an immortal witch would achieve something like peace, but it had. Sun, understandably, felt pretty proud of himself. 

Sun sighed. He’d probably never see her again. She would retreat to her realm for at least 13 years, and he’d go back to Beacon and become a Huntsman. There was nothing wrong with that, and there were certainly plenty of other fish in the sea. After all, there was still Blake Belladonna, assuming she even wanted him like that, though Blake might seem a bit pedestrian after the things Salem had done. It was highly unlikely he would ever have sex with Blake on the ceiling, or end up in a 69 in midair.

_Okay,_ Sun told himself, _need to quit thinking about that._ Salem had already provided way too much alone time, be-in-my-bunk fodder for several years. Luckily, the room phone rang. “Yeah,” he answered.

“Yo, Sun!” Neptune Vasillas’ voice was loud and happy. “Where are you, dude?”

“Where am I? Where are you? Thought you were still running around the desert, Neptune.” Neptune and the rest of Team SSSN had gone on a Vacuo safari for Spring Break; Sun didn’t expect to meet his teammates until the next morning.

“I was! We got back a bit early. Early enough to par-taaay! Well, me, anyway.” Sun could hear the thumping of techno music in the background. “C’mon down, Sun! Don’t make me come up there and drag you out of your room!” His voice dropped a little. “Unless you’re not alone or something.”

“Heh, no,” Sun chuckled. “Sure, dude. Let me snag some room service here and I’ll be down.”

“How long? I got this hot Faunus chick drooling for your bod, man!”

Sun doubted that, but it was possible. Someone began knocking at his door. “Not too long. Room service is here. Be down in a bit.” He hung up the phone, got to his feet, threw on a shirt—unbuttoned of course—and answered the door. Sure enough, it was a waitress behind a cart. Whoever Neptune had found, if he’d found someone, probably wasn’t as good looking as _this_ Faunus girl. Her hair was a grayish color, which reminded him a bit of Salem, with horns growing up and back from her forehead. Behind her swished a gray tail, and her body did wonders for the waitress uniform. If anything, it was _too_ tight, but Sun didn’t mind at all. He turned up the charm. “Hey there.”

She smiled back, dropping her eyes. “Hello. Room service.”

“Definitely. Come on in.” He held open the door for her. “Just set it on the bed, okay?” He closed the door, moved past her, and grabbed his wallet off the counter. “Here, let me get you some lien for a tip. Uh, I don’t suppose you can stay a little, can you?” He doubted it, but maybe he’d at least get her number.

“I can stay.” Sun turned around, and her whole face had changed—mainly because she was now wearing a white mask with red markings around the eyeslits. She was also pointing a gun at him. “In fact, I intend to stay awhile.” She motioned with the gun to his right. “Back up against the wall. Don’t move or I will shoot.” Sun thought about making a jump for the girl, bolting for the door, or maybe for the balcony. The steady way she was holding the pistol at him, however, meant she’d probably get at least one shot in, maybe enough to get past his Aura at this range; it also had a silencer, so she was not afraid of sound carrying beyond the room. Getting to Ruyi and Jingu Bang, his shotgun nunchakus, was out of the question: they were locked in his suitcase. He really didn’t have a choice, so he kept his hands up and moved to the wall. She’d have to get closer, then he’d have a chance. He still had his Semblance, after all.

Then Sun’s hopes sank even further. The balcony door slid open, and three other Faunus came in, having climbed up from somewhere; he could see a cloth-wrapped grappling hook over the railing. All three of the Faunus were wearing a variety of beach gear, but all three also had masks on. _Shit,_ he thought. _This is bad. One I could get with my Semblance; my clones could probably take her out before she got a shot off. But four of them…_

“Okay, what’s going on?” he asked. “I got nothing against the White Fang.” The latter was a lie; actually, Sun despised them. Now was not the time for a political debate, though. “I’m a Faunus too.”

“Doesn’t matter,” the girl with gray hair said. “You’ve been marked for death, Sun Wukong. We’re going to use you to send a message.” One of the other Faunus, a burly one with wolf ears, pulled a long, curved knife from a scabbard at the small of his back. “But since you _are_ Faunus, we’ll give you a choice. We can do this quick or do it slow.”

The wolf-eared Faunus looked back at the gray-haired one. “Those aren’t our orders, Octavia.”

“No names, idiot!” she snapped. “And I don’t care. He’s a Faunus.”

“Hey.” Sun tried to get a word in edgewise. “We could just skip the whole thing.”

“You be quiet. Fast or slow?” Octavia demanded.

“What’s the difference?”

“Fast I stick it behind your ear into your brain, and you’re dead in two seconds. Slow, I take my time,” Wolf Ears said, almost conversationally.

“Is there a third option?” Sun asked. He had to keep them talking. Neptune might come up looking for him, or the real room service could arrive—though he had a feeling the real waitress was either already dead or at least incapacitated. Some kind of distraction. All he needed was a moment that the knife point, currently just below his chin, would move and he could activate his Semblance. He’d still be in deep trouble, way outnumbered, but it would be better than now. _Gods, I sure could use some help now._

The gods didn’t answer. Someone else did.

With a crack of displaced air that made all their ears pop, a ball of night-black energy appeared, suffused through with purple lightning. The ball expanded and dissipated, and standing there, becloaked in shadow, her hair billowing around her, was Salem. 

The White Fang fell back in terror, and Sun had his chance—or would have, had he not been as shocked as they were. She looked at him, winked, then contemptously back at the four attackers. “You _DARE_ assault someone under _MY_ protection?” Her voice thundered, shaking the windows in their frames. Sun, assuming that Salem was about to unleash some kind of purple hell, dropped to the floor.

Octavia, bravely but foolishly, stood her ground and fired her pistol twice. The bullets came to a halt just short of Salem’s face. She knocked them aside with a wave of her hand, then reached out. The pistol flew out of Octavia’s hands into Salem's, who instantly turned the weapon to metal powder. 

That was enough for the other three, who fled for the balcony. Salem sighed and flicked the fingers of her right hand twice, to either side. One White Fang was smashed against the wall next to Sun; the other went flying into the nightstand. The third, Wolf Ears, made it to the balcony and was about to throw himself over, chancing a four-story fall rather than face the horror in the bedroom. Salem smiled, reached out her right hand, and made a grabbing motion. Wolf Ears was dragged back into the room screaming, and held in place next to a stunned Sun.

Octavia was still game to fight. She grabbed a knife and leapt at Salem, only to be caught in midair. The knife fell from nerveless fingers as she was simply held in place, unable to move. Salem shook her head at the Faunus. “Do you not know who I am, child?”

“No…just a powerful…human,” Octavia struggled out.

Salem rolled her eyes. “They don’t teach anything in school these days.” She glided over, close to Sun. “Hello, Sun.”

“Salem?” Sun got to his feet. “How the hell did you know I was in trouble? Not that I mind.”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you. I would’ve been here sooner, but the teleportation does take a little bit.” She put a foot on Wolf Ears, who began to yell for his mother. “Quiet!” she commanded. He went silent. Salem returned her attention to Sun. “White Fang,” she observed. “Why are they attacking you?”

“I don’t know,” Sun replied. 

“Then this one will tell us.” She turned to Octavia, who still hung suspended in midair. “You. Why did you attack Sun Wukong?”

Octavia had been chosen by Sienna Khan to head up the White Fang cell in Vacuo Beach, and chosen because of her unwavering loyalty and incredible courage. Despite looking pale death in the face, she shook her head slowly. Salem’s lips turned down, and Sun put a hand on her shoulder. “Salem, don’t kill her.”

“I won’t. Not until she talks,” Salem rasped. “ _Then_ I will kill her, very slowly.”

Sun was abruptly reminded that Salem, whatever peace she might have achieved, was not exactly going to be suddenly sunshine and happiness: she was still Queen of the Grimm. “You can’t. Yeah, they’re White Fang and they probably deserve it. But we should turn them into the authorities.”

“Who taught you that? Never mind, I know. Ozpin.” Salem shook her head. “Fine, but you’ll regret leaving enemies behind.”

“Doesn’t matter…what you do to me…” Octavia said, fighting against the paralysis. “I’m…prepared to die.”

Salem nodded. “I’m sure you are.” She raised her right hand, which glowed red. Octavia’s breath suddenly caught in her throat, and for a moment Sun thought Salem was going to strangle her to death. Then the Faunus’ eyes turned red, then dulled, and her features went slack. “Why did you attack Sun Wukong?” Salem asked again.

“We were ordered to,” Octavia answered woodenly. “Adam Taurus ordered us to kill Sun Wukong, then take his head and mail it to Blake Belladonna.”

Salem glanced at Sun. “Adam Taurus. I know that name.”

“Me too. He’s a big wheel with the White Fang.”

The witch looked back to Octavia. “What are the White Fang’s plans?”

“I do not know. We were only told to kill Sun Wukong.”

“Do you think she’s lying?” Sun asked Salem.

“No. Her will is nothing to me.” To demonstrate, Salem asked her, “What are the names of the other White Fangs in this room?”

“Mack, Brae, and Bloom,” Octavia instantly answered. 

“Very well.” Salem stepped off of Mack, and knelt down next to him. He looked up at her as she took the mask off his face. Sun wrinkled his nose; the man was so terrified he’d wet himself. “Listen to me very carefully, Mack,” she said. “You will stay in this room. You will wait for the police. You will not leave. You will not do anything but lay here on the floor. If I find out you have violated my orders, I will not only melt the flesh from your bones, I will do the same to your comrades and your family, if you have one. And know there is nowhere on _Remnant_ you can hide from me.” He nodded hastily. Salem straightened and lowered Octavia to the floor. The other two White Fang were still unconscious. “Sun, pack your things. I will transport you back to Beacon.”

“Yeah.” He grabbed his Scroll off the sideboard. “Let me give Neptune a call—he’s downstairs. If they were going to mail my head to Blake, they’re probably going to hit her next.”

“Are they?” Salem asked Octavia, now standing motionless, her arms at her sides, staring into nothing.

“I do not know.”

“Okay. I gotta get my team together.” Sun began dialing Neptune’s number, but Salem gently put the Scroll down. She grabbed him by his blond hair and pulled him into a kiss. His tail went rigid as her tongue gently probed his mouth. “I have missed you,” she whispered. “Perhaps your call could wait a few minutes.”

Sun, despite himself, knew he was getting hard. “Right in front of them?”

Salem chuckled. “You have a point. I do not much like an audience. There is always the roof. It has been too long since I have made love under the stars.”

“But Blake—“ Making love, or mad monkey sex, under the stars sounded really good to Sun, but he did have a duty.

Salem stopped herself from kissing him again. “Does she mean something to you?”

Sun spread his hands. “She’s just a friend, but she’s a good friend. I can’t let her be killed by the White Fang. You’re…you’re not jealous, are you?”

Salem closed her eyes. She knew there was nothing serious between her and Sun; she had no claim on him, just as he had no claim on her. It was not love; she desired him, but also knew that she’d tire of him sooner rather than later. He was magnificent in bed, but he would grow old and die even if she _did_ stay with him. And to be honest with herself, Sun was good for a fling now and then, but that was all. Though she adamantly refused to see him hurt. “I’m not,” she finally replied. “You just remind me…of better times.” She glided over to the door. “Pack your things. I will take you to Patch. That is where the Belladonna girl is now.”

“Blake Belladonna is not on Patch.” Octavia’s voice was robotic, as if Sun had asked his Scroll assistant for help. “She is on Menagerie, with her parents. We were instructed to send Sun Wukong’s head there.”

“Oh shit,” Sun breathed. “The White Fang hate Ghira and Kali Belladonna. They’ll kill them, too.”

“Sun…” Salem hesitated. “I cannot help Blake against the White Fang. I cannot interfere in the internal politics of Remnant during the truce. That was the deal I made with Ozpin. He tends to be somewhat literal about such things. Should I intervene, he might see it as a breaking of the truce. I’ve already risked it by saving you.”

“That’s crazy,” Sun argued. “He’d say you were making things better.”

“It would still be interference. And I gave my word. On the bodies of my dead children, I gave my word.” _Or did you?_ Salem asked herself. _Those weren't quite the exact words we used._ _Would obliterating the White Fang be so bad? Ozpin would not mourn the death of a group of Faunus terrorists. And I certainly have no loyalty to them; Sienna Khan probably intended to betray me the moment she thought she had the chance. Are you just looking for an excuse, Salem? Hoping that the White Fang and some of Ozpin’s allies wipe each other out, strengthening your position in 13 years? Hoping that the Belladonna girl dies so that you can have Sun to yourself?_ She didn’t know, and couldn’t answer her own question.

“That’s okay. We can handle them. No reason for you to risk the peace. It’s more important than all of us.” Sun grabbed his suitcases. “Though thanks for the help here. I don’t know if I could’ve taken them—“ There was a knock at the door. Salem drew back a hand, a black sphere growing within. “Whoa, hold on, that’s probably Neptune—“

She powered down the spell. “It is this Neptune Vasillas.” She gestured, and door opened, to admit Neptune. He wasn’t wearing his customary jacket, and his black tie was unknotted and askew from his white shirt. “Hey, Sun, just wondered where— _holy shit!”_ Neptune leaped backwards away from Salem, hand scrabbling for his trident, which was back in his room.

Sun quickly moved past Neptune. “Hey, whoa, take it easy! She’s with us.” He looked a bit sheepish. “Well, sort of.”

“Dude!” Neptune pointed, shaking. “Who the hell _is_ that?” Sun realized he’d never heard of her; Ozpin had only texted the team leaders, and then only the ones who knew about Salem.

“Long story. I’ll tell it you later. Grab your crap; the White Fang just tried to kill me.” 

Neptune did not really even want to _look_ at Salem, but he saw the bodies on the floor. “Shit. Why?”

“They’re assholes, that’s why. Anyway, they might hit Team RWBY next, so we’re going to Patch.”

“We’re not going to find an airship at this time of night, dude.”

Sun thumbed at Salem. “She’ll teleport us. C’mon, let’s go. Are Scarlet and Sage here?”

“Nah, they already headed back to Beacon last night from Oscuro. I came here to find you.” He gulped as Salem drifted out of the room. “Damn.”

She bowed her head slightly. “Greetings, Neptune Vasillas. I am Salem. Sun and I are…” She put an arm through his. “…friends. _Close_ friends.” 

Neptune put two and two together rapidly. “Holy shit,” he repeated. “Dude.”

“What is this ‘dude’ you keep saying?” Salem asked.

“Never mind.” Sun just wanted to get going; Neptune could play Witch Encounter Group later. He pointed back into his room. “They going to be okay in there?”

Salem glanced back into the room. “Octavia, you will be all right, won’t you?”

“Yes, Mistress Salem,” Octavia answered, still unmoving. “We will wait for the authorities and surrender peacefully, then tell them everything about our cell.”

“Is that all right with you, Mack?” Salem taunted, and the Faunus raised a shaky thumbs-up, still face down on the carpet.

“Shall we, gentlemen?” Salem motioned them forward, and closed the door behind her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to give this chapter an idea of the sheer folly it would be for people to attack Salem. She's had thousands of years to refine her already impressive magical powers; we can only imagine what canon Salem is going to do to Atlas in season 8. If Salem here has more than a Darth Vader vibe, well, that's entirely intentional--and she was being merciful for Sun's (and the story's) sake. If he hadn't been there, Salem would have carried out the threat she made to Mack, and enjoyed it. (Originally, that was how I was going to write it, but it was waaay too dark.) Despite her peace with Ozpin and armistice with Remnant, Salem is still not reformed; she's just made one small step on that path. It would be too easy if she was suddenly a good person. 
> 
> That's also the story reason why Salem won't be interfering against the White Fang, besides her own divided feelings on the subject: the fight chapters would be two pages long and titled "Salem Wipes Out the White Fang in Five Minutes." 
> 
> This was also going to include the Summer/Tai vs. the White Fang on the nude beach fight, but this chapter ran a bit long, and it's getting a bit late, so that will have to wait until next time. And Blackwing, thank you for taking the time for the long critique; I don't necessarily agree with everything you wrote, but it did influence some "Author Saving Throws," as TVTropes would put it.


	29. You Can't Hurry Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tai and Summer hit the beach--a nude beach, naturally. When in Menagerie, do as the Faunus do. 
> 
> Unfortunately, for the Faunus of the White Fang, what they do is to try and kill Tai and Summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was going to be a bit longer--I need to get back to Beacon, where Cinder is still up to her nefarious plans--but this ended up being about right, so we'll get to that, and the White Fang's attack on Team RWBY, next time.
> 
> In these tough times, I hope I'm making at least someone laugh and cheer a bit.

_The Beach of the Fallen Princess_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_That Afternoon_

“According to Kali,” Summer said, “this beach is so named because there was a Faunus princess who fell in love with a human. Unfortunately for them, the human died in battle, and the princess, unable to live without her love, threw herself into the ocean, where she died of a broken heart.” She shrugged. “Or a broken neck.”

Tai, with a duffel bag balanced on his shoulder, shook his head. “Just slightly morbid.”

“Oh, you.” Summer laughed. “You’re too uptight today, Tai.”

“Yeah, that’s just what I needed. A story about a lost love.”

Summer sobered. “Oh.” That _would_ be the sort of story Tai wouldn’t appreciate. “Sorry. Who pissed in your cornflakes?”

Tai shrugged as they walked down the beach. “I’m sorry, Summer. I _am_ uptight. It’s just that there’s a lot of people here I don’t regard as friends—not because they’re Faunus, but because they don’t like people like us. Not just humans, but Huntsmen and Huntresses.” He looked out over the water. “And I’m worried about Yang.”

“Just because she probably slept with Blake again?” Summer pointed. “That’s a good spot. On the other side of those rocks.” 

“Yes. And not because they’re both girls,” Tai assured his wife. “I mean, yes, I want Yang to find a good guy, settle down, and give us some grandchildren. But I also told her that I would love her no matter who she chose, or even if she chose no one.” He looked at Summer. “Blake is coming off a bad relationship, as you know—a very bad one. Yang’s not the type to take advantage, but Blake might be seeing something in Yang that isn’t there, because she’s desperate for anyone to cling to.” 

They stopped at the place Summer had indicated. It was nice, and secluded—between spurs of high cliffs, at the end of the beach, where sand gave way to forest. He set down the duffel bag and opened it. “Yang is a lot like I was at her age—pretty much ready to take sex wherever it was offered.”

Summer grinned at him. “Oh? Did you have any boyfriends I don’t know about?”

“No, but there were quite a few girls you _did_ know about. Raven wasn’t my first.”

Summer nodded. At Beacon, Taiyang had filled out nicely, on a diet of constant training and fighting, but he was also kind, honest and modest. As a result, he’d been irresistible to many females, and Tai was also too kind to say no. He’d been experienced when he and Raven had fell in love. Of course, so had been Raven. “I know.”

“And Blake reminds me of me after you disappeared.”

Summer’s eyebrows went up. “Er…what?”

Tai caught the suspicion in her voice, and chuckled. “No, Summer, there wasn’t anyone. I was tempted, and there were offers, but…I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.”

She reached over and caressed his face. “It would’ve been okay. I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

“Let’s talk about something else,” Tai offered. “But I’m still worried Yang and Blake are making a mistake.”

“Let’s talk about _that_ later.” Summer helped him unpack the duffel. He spread out a huge beach towel—clearly designed for someone Ghira’s size—and Summer laid out a heroic lunch in plastic containers with plenty of water. “Now then,” Summer said, “do you feel like moping some more, or do you want to strip down and take a swim? Clothing optional beach, you know.”

“I’d noticed.” The beach further down didn’t have a lot of people there, but most of them were naked or half-naked. Other than a few stares and the occasional friendly wave, the Faunus had paid no attention to Summer or Tai, and none seemed embarrassed. Both Summer and Tai knew that the Faunus were far more laid back about that sort of thing on Menagerie than they were elsewhere, and only Vacuo had less of a nudity taboo. “I’ve never been to a nude beach before.”

“Me neither.” Summer kicked off her sandals, peeled off the shorts she wore, and took off her T-shirt. It wasn’t quite as warm as they’d hoped, but it was still rather nice out. Tai took off his shirt and cargo shorts, and pulled off his sandals. 

“Well?” Summer asked, pointing at his boxers. 

“You first.”

Summer laughed. “Okay.” She took off her top, pulled off her bottoms, and ran naked towards the surf. Tai blew out a breath at the sight of her backside wiggling as she reached the ocean, and executed a beautiful dive into the surf. He took down his boxers and ran after her as she surfaced about fifty feet out to sea. The beach tide was gentle, he noticed as he jumped in, so he wouldn’t have to worry about riptides, and the water was warm enough. Sharks did show up in this area of Remnant, but given that the Faunus down the beach didn’t seem too concerned, he decided he wouldn’t be either.

Summer waved at him, and Tai dived under the water. He held his breath and stroked towards her, then surfaced right next to her, his hands lightly resting on her hips. “Hi.”

“Hello there.” She kissed him, tasting the saltwater on his lips. “Oh, this is really nice. Reminds me of that cove by the house…except not as cold.”

“And we don’t have to worry about waking up Madame Mallari.” He kissed her back, and Summer could feel him getting hard against her. 

“Uh oh,” she giggled. 

“You’re not going to tell me you didn’t think this was going to happen,” he murmured to her.

“Oh, no. I planned on it. I just thought we’d swim a bit first.”

“Kali and Ghira are entertaining the kids. We’ve got all day…and if necessary, all night.” Tai nuzzled her neck. “I’m pretty sure no one’s going to yell at us for busting curfew.”

Summer almost gasped as she felt that wonderful, tingling bubble of desire beginning to build in the pit of her stomach. “In that case…I don’t want to wait.”

“Race you back.” Both dived; both were good swimmers—Summer from training, Tai because he’d grown up on Patch. Tai went for a fast, overhead stroke, using the surf to his advantage, but Summer was like an otter, gliding beneath the water in a red blur, and rolling up on the surf. She stuck her tongue out as he finally waded ashore. “You cheated,” he told her. “Using your Semblance!”

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Tai.” The sparkling in her eyes told that as a lie. “I guess I need to be punished.” She turned and walked back towards the towel, sashaying as she did so, as if she was walking down a fashion show ramp. Tai, thinking he was definitely the luckiest man on Remnant, walked back slowly, enjoying the view.

“So when are we going to attack?” Donna asked. She was straddling a branch like the rest of the White Fang team. All four of them were a good twenty yards inside the forest, all with a good line of sight on the couple and their towel. One of the outcroppings partially hid Summer and Tai, but the White Fang had cut off their only avenue of escape.

“We’re waiting,” Perry answered.

“For Ilia?”

Perry put down the binoculars. “Until they’re done.”

Rafe, a branch down from Perry, looked up. “Why? If we hit them in the middle of…well, you know…”

“In the middle of them having sex?” Perry glared at Rafe. “Gods, man! I’m not doing that! We’re not monsters, you know.”

“You probably just want to watch,” Leona grumped, two branches above. As a monkey Faunus, she was their best tree-climber.

Perry handed up the binoculars. “Fine. Here.” He noticed Leona did not refuse. “We wait. When they’re lying there all sleepy and happy, then we’ll strike.” 

Summer sat cross-legged on the mat, and took a drink of water, fortifying herself for what was about to happen and admiring the sight of her man walking towards her. “I wish I was an artist,” she said, holding up her fingers like she was taking a picture. “Though I’d need a T-square to draw parts of you right now.”

“The Scrolls are in the duffel,” he said, sitting next to her. 

“No…I’d probably accidentally end up sending nudes to Qrow or something.” He sat down next to her, also cross-legged. “Well…let’s do this. I want to be on top.”

“Sounds great. You can do all the work.” Tai stretched out onto the towel, and Summer knelt over him, gripping his erection and guiding it slowly into her. She sighed happily as it went in all the way, filling her, and gently leaned forward. “Tai,” she whispered, “I think my contraceptive shot is still good for a few more days, but…I’m all right with it if I get pregnant. I want another child. Do you?”

He caressed her cheek. “If you do, absolutely.”

“I missed almost everything about Ruby and Yang. I don’t want to miss it again.”

Tai held onto her back, staying inside her as he got to a sitting position, which made it easier to kiss her. “Then let’s get to it and find out.” He began pushing into her as Summer wrapped her legs around his back. They found a good rhythm, not too fast or slow; Summer leaned forward a bit and put her arms around his neck, feeling the hair on his chest rubbing against her erect nipples. “Oh dear,” she said, a little breathless.

“What?”

“I just thought of something…in those woods there. What if some perv is in there, watching us? It wouldn’t be easy, but…”

At this point, Tai honestly wouldn’t care if the entire island of Menagerie was watching them. “Then let’s give them a show.” 

She laughed. “Well, okay then.” She increased the speed a little bit, then eased off, then sped up again. Their breathing quickened, and their kisses became far more passionate, licking the salt off each other’s lips. Summer began to make small humming noises, which was Tai’s first warning that she wasn’t too far off. His hands dropped down to her rear and teased at the cleft of her buttocks, occasionally darting in to send shivers up her spine. “Quit…messing…with my…butt,” she gasped out.

“No,” Tai replied.

Summer’s hums began to be slightly louder, and she leaned into his neck. “Tai…” she whispered. “I’m…going to…”

He licked her ear. “Please do.”

“Ah…oh,” was all she said, then went rigid. Tai held her tight as Summer rode her orgasm, making little moans into his neck. He stopped, just glorying in the feel of her, knowing it was him that made her so happy. Just having her back was enough to make him get a little teary-eyed. He waited until she was finished, then kissed her nose when she straightened up. “That’s one,” he told her.

“Ah ha,” she snickered. “Think you can go for two?”

“Easy. What’s our record?”

“Hmm…I think five was on our wedding night, but we did it at least twice.” Summer actually wasn’t sure if she could go that distance. She’d actually fainted on their wedding night, her brain simply overloaded. “But like you said, we’ve got all day.” She pulled Tai out of her, then leaned back on the towel. “Your turn.”

He spread her thighs open, and Summer grinned at the sight of her husband; they would be lucky if either of them lasted much longer. “Gods, I love you,” she said as he began to push into her.

“I was about to say the same thing,” he laughed. At first, he tried to go slow, but it was no good: Tai, in spite of his best efforts, began slamming into her, unable to hold back. Summer wasn’t helping, pushing up her small breasts and licking her lips, those half-lidded silver eyes staring back at him. He began licking at her nipples, knowing that was something that never failed to work to get Summer very turned on very quickly. 

Summer’s smirk faded quickly enough, and soon her fingers were bunched in the towel, and she began gasping for breath, her toes curling with pleasure. “Tai…” she struggled out.

“You…you can scream,” he assured her, gasping himself. “No one…around…”

Reminded of that fact, Summer did. As a rule, she was usually quiet, keeping a hold on herself: there had usually been Ruby or Yang asleep somewhere in the house, and only when they were very certain they were alone did she cut loose—unlike Raven, who would wake up everyone within five miles and curse Tai like a sailor. “Tai… _Tai…_ ” Her voice rose. “Oh gods, _Tai! Yes! Oh, yes!”_ She was actually beating her heels against his back. “ _Gods, Tai! Fuck me! Fuck me harder!”_ Despite the fact that she was on the verge of a shattering orgasm, Summer’s hands went to her mouth in embarrassment—but they didn’t stay there as she came with a scream. 

Tai was able to get a few more thrusts before he pushed as deep as he could, groaned out her name, and shot his seed into her. Coming down from her own peak, Summer made soft noises as she felt him empty himself. “Oh, Tai…that’s right…”

He barely held himself up, shuddering. “Gods, Summer.” Tai had just enough strength to roll off of her and lean back. 

Summer snuggled into him. “That…that was fun.” She grabbed the bottle of water and shared it with him. “Glad we brought a towel. Kali was right; that sand would’ve gotten everywhere.”

“She must speak from experience.”

Summer giggled. “Well, she did say Blake might have gotten started here.” She hoped that maybe someone else had, too.

That pleasant thought was rudely interrupted when a few pebbles fell from the top of the cliff above them. Summer blinked; there was some sort of shimmer there.

“Okay, they’re done.” Perry dropped nimbly to the ground, where his chainsaw waited. “Let’s get this over with.” To his surprise, he found that he didn’t really want to do this. He noticed the other White Fang were also moving slowly down the branches.

Leona put down the binoculars; her skin was flushed. “Wow. I wish _I_ knew someone who could screw me like that.” She looked up at Perry. “Do we have to do this? It…feels wrong,” she said, echoing his thoughts.

“Are you kidding? They’re fucking _humans,”_ Donna snapped back. They all stared at the venom in her voice, but Donna was the most fanatical of the new team. She’d lost her entire family to a group of human vigilantes. 

Michael pulled a dagger from his boot. “Orders are orders,” he said. “If this gets us one step closer to victory, we have to do it.”

“Yeah.” Rafe unsheathed a rapier. “Like Perry said, let’s just get it over with.” He looked to his commander. “Are we waiting for Ilia?”

Perry checked his watch. “No. She might’ve gotten delayed at the bazaar. We go, now.” 

They advanced out of the woods at a run.

Tai smelled something on the wind, looked behind him, and was on his feet in a second. “Summer, behind us!” Their white masks and snarling wolf’s head on their jerkins was unmistakable. Perry, who saw surprise was lost, jerked the chainsaw to buzzing life.

Summer dived for the duffel as the White Fang charged, Perry in the lead; Tai stepped between her and Perry. “Tai, get back!” she ordered; now was not the time for chivalry. Tai had to dodge in any case, as the chainsaw swung down to bisect him. Perry missed, but with surprising speed, twisted the weapon to cut Tai in half. 

Or would have, had the chainsaw blade not hit the extended blade of a scythe. Summer hadn’t had time to remake her own weapon, of course, but her daughter had allowed her to borrow Crescent Rose. They struggled for a moment, but realizing that Perry was stronger, Summer simply jerked the scythe free and leapt backwards. Tai ended up flanking them. “I’ll take these four!” he yelled. “You take Chainsaw Boy!”

Summer spun the scythe, loving the feel and balance of it in her hands. It wasn’t like her weapon, but it was close enough. “With pleasure.”

Tai motioned the four of them forward. “C’mon, boys and girls. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“You underestimate us, human!” Donna shouted. She feinted towards him with her mace, then drew back as Leona stepped forward, and flung a ball of fire from her hands towards Tai. He ducked out of the way, though he still felt the fire scorch him a little. He dodged another, which got close enough that his Aura had to take it. _Fire Semblance,_ he thought. That made things interesting. So did fighting naked, but Tai was used to fighting without weapons and armor. 

Tai rolled back to his feet, and as he’d thought, the other female Faunus, the monkey, looked a little winded. Despite their masks, he could tell they were young, probably the same age as Yang or younger, and therefore still learning how to use their Semblances—and how to pace themselves. A third fireball went spiraling towards him from her, and as he jumped out of the way, he saw one of the males stabbing forward with his dagger. _As expected,_ Tai thought; the third fireball had no heat to it, which meant it was a distraction. 

Mike put everything into his attack, thrusting straight down with the dagger in an overhand thrust that, if it struck, would sink it hilt-deep into Tai’s heart. Tai stepped back to one side, letting Mike overextend, then chopped a hand down on the Faunus’ wrist. He yowled in pain and dropped the dagger, then staggered back, clutching at his wrist.

Tai bent and picked up the dagger. “No, no,” he said. “You’re doing it all wrong!” He held the blade loosely and thrust forward at the air. “Like this. Not overhand; that’s what an amateur does. Straight in, swift and smooth. That way you can pull it back out and go back in. Just like making love to a woman.” Tai grinned at the Faunus and tossed the knife back. “Here, try it again.”

Mike caught the knife, got some feeling back into his wrist, nodded, and tried it Tai’s way. The attack was more fluid, and against a mugger in the street or a security guard, might have been fatal. Against a trained Huntsman, however, it was still too slow. Tai sighed, let the thrust go past again, and drove an elbow into Mike’s face. The Faunus flew backwards, the mask shattered, blood spraying from a broken nose. Tai bent down and motioned the others forward. “Okay, who’s next.”

“That would be me!” Rafe swung the rapier down, while Leona went in to flank; Leona got her breath back, and was looking for an opening to throw another fireball. Tai somersaulted backwards out of the way of both attacks. _They’ve got the talent,_ he thought, evaluating them as he would have at Signal. _Give them some actual training, and they might be good. But right now they’re just getting in each other’s way. They should’ve attacked when I was taunting the kid with the knife. Oh well. Hope Summer’s doing all right._

“Watch your feet, you clumsy bastard!” Summer shouted as Perry stepped forward. “You step in that lunch, and I swear I will kill your dumb ass!”

Perry wondered if what she said was a trick, but it was good advice anyway—he was liable to slip on the container, and doing that while holding a chainsaw would be bad. In any case, he was backing her up against a cliff. “So you’re a Huntress,” he said. “Not impressed.”

Summer turned slightly, making herself a smaller target, and raised Crescent Rose. “I’m a bit rusty.”

He nodded and advanced forward, holding the chainsaw in front of him. Perry dropped the chainsaw, hunching down, preparing for an attack upwards that would either kill Summer or drive her back into the cliff wall. She planted Crescent Rose and used it as a vault, kicking both feet into his face. Her slight weight meant that Perry fell back more out of surprise than any damage, but it bought her time to drop back down and pull Crescent Rose from the ground. He recovered faster than she’d anticipated, and shortened her grip on the scythe, blocking his overhead swing, reversing, and slicing the scythe blade across his chest. Perry’s Aura flared, enough to absorb the hit, but barely so. He swung down, she slid backwards, and another swing with the chainsaw was blocked by the staff of Crescent Rose. This time they locked, and Perry’s greater weight forced Summer downwards, the buzzing saw inching closer to her throat.

Rafe made two excellent cuts with the rapier; Tai dodged one and his Aura took the second, but enough of the blade got through to hurt. “Come on,” he shouted in the Faunus’ face, “quit using the edge, you noob!” He remembered the word from a time Yang had been caught cussing out a video game. “Point! Only an idiot uses edge!” Which was not true, but Tai was rattling the young man. 

It worked. With a scream of rage, he went for point, in what was indeed a superb thrust, much more professional than Mike had been. Tai grabbed the sword by the hilt, stopping it just short of his chest with one hand and using the other to deliver a crushing blow to Rafe’s chest. His Aura flared and dissipated, and the Faunus dropped back gasping. As Tai dropped back to wait on Donna’s mace attack, Leona saw an opening and let fly with a fireball.

Tai ducked his head, ran forward, and picked up Rafe, throwing both of them into the fireball’s path. Tai felt the heat on his face and hands, enough to burn, but whereas he still had plenty of Aura, Rafe had none. His jerkin ignited and the Faunus screamed in pain, reaching backwards as the flames licked upwards towards his hair. Tai spun and flung him into the ocean, which would put out the flame and knock him out of the battle. “Oh my gods!” Leona screamed, and ran after Rafe into the surf.

Tai didn’t have time to congratulate himself, however. Mike was getting back to his feet, and Donna’s mace was swinging at his head.

Summer was angry. Not so much at the big White Fang who was forcing her down, but the fact that she hadn’t taken this idiot with the bad breath out by now. She _was_ getting rusty. 

“Got you,” he grinned at her.

“Quit staring at my tits,” she replied. And as she’d anticipated, his eyes, behind the mask, involuntarily flicked downwards to her naked breasts. It gave her a second, and a second was all she needed. Summer let go of Crescent Rose, and disappeared. Perry, taken by surprise and with nothing resisting him, fell forward, the chainsaw digging into the sand and sending it everywhere.

Summer actually hadn’t disappeared; she’d simply moved so fast it had given the illusion that she had. Now she was behind him, and in rapid succession, she drove a fist into both kidneys, one into his groin, and an elbow into the back of his head. Perry’s Aura absorbed the blows, but sheer impact caused by the speed was enough to drive him into the sand. Summer, still moving in a blur, retrieved Crescent Rose, used the scythe to hook the handle of the chainsaw and throw it out of reach, then reversed it and brought the blunt end directly onto Perry’s skull. His Aura flared and faded; so did his consciousness.

“Asshole,” she breathed.

Donna saw the column of steam that marked where Rafe had landed, and screamed a horrible oath as she just missed Tai. For a big man, he was fast. “You son of a bitch,” she growled. “I’m going to kill you. And then I’m going to take this mace and ram it right up your wife’s hole.”

Tai took a step forward. “You going to talk or fight?”

She leapt, higher than a human could, and drove the mace straight down. Tai merely reached up and caught it in one hand, his feet sliding backwards in the sand as he absorbed the energy of her leap. She landed on her feet, both hands on the mace, but it did not budge in Tai’s hand. “What did you say you were going to do?” he said, barely audibly.

“I said, I’m going to kill you and ram this right up—“

Tai crushed the mace in his hand. The metal bent inwards and groaned audibly. He now had enough of a grip that he tore it out of her hands and threw it aside. “I was going easy on you because you four are young, misguided and stupid,” Tai snarled, “but now, I think I’ll kill _you.”_

Donna stepped back, bringing up her hands, but his right arm shot forward and he gripped her around the throat. Tai pulled her off her feet and tightened his grip; her eyes bulged, she tried to cough but couldn’t, and her lips began to turn blue. Tai then slammed her into the sand, where Donna lay unmoving. 

Leona had dragged Rafe out of the surf, and saw Tai standing over her comrade’s inert form. She raised her hands for one last fireball, then suddenly stopped cold—literally. The water around her cracked as it froze instantly to ice, and she screamed as she was encased up to her neck.

Summer walked out, Crescent Rose held like a rifle in her hands. “Whew! Sorry, Tai. Took me a second to figure out how to transform this thing. I guess Ruby had Ice Dust rounds loaded.” She ran up to him. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Lost my temper there.” Summer toed the body and bent down. The Faunus was still breathing, if shallowly. “She’ll live,” Tai said. “But damn, I really wanted to snap her neck.”

Summer suddenly whipped around, pointing Crescent Rose. “Ah-ah! You stay right there, fella.” Mike, who had been ready to bolt into the forest, stopped and raised his hands over his head.

Both of them noticed a group of Faunus running towards them, and Tai braced for a fight, not sure if these people were here to help or were going to pitch in. But out of the crowd surged a bull Faunus, who made two of Tai; he was dressed in shorts, but on them was attached a shield. He skidded to a halt. “Whoa, easy,” he rumbled. “Max Fraser, Menagerie Coast Guard. Sorry, we didn’t notice the fight until we saw that guy go in the surf.”

Tai didn’t bother covering up; neither did Summer, as she was still covering Mike. “You here to arrest them? They’re White Fang,” Tai asked.

“White Fang?” Fraser spit into the sand. “You two are human, so maybe you don’t understand. There’s a lot of us here on this island who hate those bastards.” He turned. “Any of you here sympathize with this bunch?” No one moved, and Tai was surprised to see a lot of hate in their eyes—directed at the White Fang, not the two humans. Fraser turned back to them and smiled. “We’re not all like Sienna Khan, Mister…?”

“I’m Taiyang Xiao Long. That’s my wife, Summer Rose. We’re both Hunters.”

Fraser nodded. “Good, makes this easy. You can arrest them.”

“We can?” Tai asked.

“Duh!” Summer said over her shoulder. 

“Sorry! It’s been awhile since I was out in the field.” 

“I’ll take these four into custody,” Fraser said, and Tai believed that he could probably handle all five on his own. Besides, the only two that were conscious was a thoroughly cowed Mike and a thoroughly freezing Leona. “You two can carry on with…well, whatever you were doing.”

“We need to get back,” Summer said, backing up to Tai. “If the White Fang came after us, they’ll hit Team RWBY next.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curb stomp battle? Yeah, pretty much. Five White Fang operatives would struggle against an elite Huntsman and Huntress in any case; sending a green unit against them was going to end badly. But maybe that was Ilia's intention...
> 
> The "Fallen Princess" story is yet another one from the DC RWBY series, as told by Kali to Blake (complete with broken neck line); I got some inspiration for the fight scene from both Fred Perry's fantastic "Gold Digger" series and an equally great scene in "Secondhand Lions." Hey, get your inspiration where you can.


	30. Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Team RWBY decide how they want to spend their time on Menagerie, Ghira and Kali try to find a way to disguise Weiss. Unfortunately, it's a moot point: the Faunus of Menagerie know about Weiss...and they're marching on the Belladonna Lodge in protest. One misstep, and a fragile peace will be shattered--which is just what the White Fang wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this was a tough one. It finally came together at the end.

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_About the Same Time_

Team RWBY, and Ghira and Kali Belladonna sat around the living room’s low table, having just finished a rather nice lunch; the team had noticed that Kali was a gourmet of sorts. “Well,” she said, as she cleared the last of the dishes, “what would Team RWBY like to do today?”

“I’d love to hit the beach,” Blake said.

Yang couldn’t resist. “Aren’t cats afraid of water?”

“Oh, ha ha.” 

Ghira chortled. “Not this one,” he said, pointing to Blake. “She swims like a dolphin.”

“I wouldn’t mind going,” Yang said. Ruby punched a fist in the air, so she was clearly onboard. They looked to Weiss, who seemed hesitant. “Mr. Belladonna, may I ask a perhaps sensitive question?” she wanted to know.

Ghira nodded. “I suppose.”

“Yesterday, you mentioned that you’d never anticipated ever bringing a Schnee under your roof. And that perhaps I may be in some danger here as the heiress to the Schnee fortune.”

“Yes to both.”

Weiss sighed. “I thought as much. Then perhaps I should leave and return to Beacon. I don’t want to risk your standing here, or my friends.”

Kali returned from the kitchen. “Summer and I spoke about that this morning before she and Taiyang left. The problem with you leaving, Weiss, is that the White Fang almost certainly know you’re here. The Albain brothers you met yesterday? They belong to the White Fang.” She explained how the White Fang could operate semi-legally in Menagerie. “While the Albains _might_ not be that fanatical, there are members of the Fang that most certainly are. They would not hesitate to blow up an airship to get you, just to get back at your father.”

“Oh gods,” Weiss said, turning more pale than usual, “I never should’ve come here. The Fang might attack you, just to get to me.”

“Or me,” Blake added. “Given my…well, you all know about Adam.”

“And we all know we’d kick his ass!” Yang shouted.

“Easy, Yang,” Kali warned, sitting down. “Adam Taurus is a fearsome opponent. He is not to be underestimated.” She faced them calmly. “Nonetheless, the White Fang will not attack here. While Sienna Khan has indeed taken the organization way too far, there are still some members of them that remember that Ghira and I started the White Fang. And they are not as popular in Menagerie as they think they are. Attacking us would send a message to the moderates here: you are as much a target as the Schnees. And I don’t think many Faunus would tolerate that.”

“But with me here…” Weiss breathed. 

“Enough,” Ghira growled, with a wave of his hand. “Sooner or later we must make peace, even with Atlas. Even with the Schnees.” He leaned forward, looming over Weiss. “I don’t mind telling you, Miss Schnee, that your father has done much wrong to us. The conditions in the mines are appalling, and his ‘reforms’ have been little more than lip service. Faunus are treated as second-class citizens in Atlas, and that must come to an end. It won’t happen tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow—but it must _end._ ” 

She nodded without flinching. “I agree.” She reached over and took Blake’s hand. “I’ve learned a lot about what my family has done—and I don’t mind telling _you,_ Mr. Belladonna, that having grown up with my father, I am not overly surprised. It was not easy hearing the truth from Blake, but I have accepted it. I will admit to wondering if the stories have been overblown, perhaps…but Blake has never lied to me.”

“The stories aren’t overblown,” Blake replied, though she didn’t let go of Weiss’ hand; instead, she squeezed it reassuringly.

“Unfortunately not,” Ghira agreed, “though at least a few steps were taken, after international outcry. Cosmetic, as I said. However, what the White Fang does will not improve the conditions in the Dust mines. They will instead turn the humans more and more against Faunus, to where enslaving us not only seems like a necessary evil, but a necessary _good._ To control us. The White Fang are cutting our throats just as effectively as they are the humans.” He realized his voice had rose, and he sat back, smiling. “I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to preach.”

“It’s the truth, Dad,” Blake said, smiling as well.

“Mr. Belladonna.” Weiss stood. “I swear to you that, when and if I ever control the Schnee Dust Company, these wrongs will be redressed. I swear.”

He nodded. “And what do you swear by, Weiss Schnee?”

“No more than my name, sir. My word is my bond.”

Ghira stared at her for a moment, then laughed, slapping his knee. “Well! The spirit of the true Schnee lives in you, young miss.”

Ruby raised a hand. “Uh, look…I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but before we started talking about politics, we were going to go to the beach.”

Ghira laughed even more. “Yes, yes, of course! Forgive me, Miss Rose.”

Yang raised her hand next. “This is gonna sound weird, but what if we disguised Weiss? Maybe get her a wig or something? Then if anyone asks, we tell them Weiss flew home already.”

Kali nodded. “It could work. I think we’ve got some hair coloring somewhere, back when Ghira was afraid he was going gray.”

Ghira covered his eyes. “Kali…”

Team RWBY smothered their smiles. Kali pretended not to notice. “No, really! It works pretty well, and maybe we could even find some fake kitty ears—“

Blake’s eyes widened. “Some _what?”_

Kali rolled her eyes. “Oh yes. There’s a tourist shop near the airport that sells them. It's wrong, but if a fool wants to be parted from their money, who are we to stop them?” She looked over Weiss professionally. “Let’s see. Black hair, fake ears…a longer dress—you could borrow some of mine…maybe a push-up bra…” Weiss groaned, not because of what Kali said, but because she had a point: Weiss' superstructure was not terribly impressive.

“Oh yeah,” Yang said, grinning. “And we can braid her hair, too.”

“Yang, no,” Weiss pleaded.

“Yang, _yes,”_ the brawler replied.

“Won’t the hair dye come off in the water?” Ruby asked.

“It’s just to get her there and back. The swimming area is pretty secluded. No one would see you.”

Ghira stared at his wife. “Kali, you’re not referring to the nude beach at Fallen Princess, are you?”

Kali snorted with laughter. “No, no. Though, I suppose if Team RWBY wanted to—“

“NO,” they said as one.

“—and besides, that’s where Tai and Summer are. That would be…not too good, I think,” Kali finished.

“Wait,” Ruby said. “Mom and Dad went to a…nude beach?” Kali only nodded. “A secluded nude beach?” Another nod. “Oh. Huh. Well…huh.” She turned red. Yang suddenly began inspecting the ceiling.

The awkward silence was interrupted by a thud from the front door. Ghira got to his feet. “I’ll get it. Probably someone from the council.”

Ghira opened the door to see Fennec and Corsac Albain standing there. To his surprise, both Faunus were bareheaded, their hoods thrown back. “Chieftain…” Fennec puffed out. “There’s…we ran…”

Corsac caught his breath faster. “There’s a mob headed this way. From the bazaar.”

“A mob?” Ghira asked. “Why?”

“The Schnee girl.” Fennec had gotten his breath back as well. “They demand an explanation for her presence here.”

“She is a guest!” Ghira exclaimed. “Her last name does not matter!”

“The people at the bazaar feel differently.” Corsac was able to keep the satisfaction out of his voice, but only just. The plan had worked perfectly. Ilia had talked to many of her friends at the bazaar, the ones who were more favorable to the White Fang, while Corsac and Fennec had merely spread the rumor. There was no one on Menagerie that liked the Schnee Dust Company, even those who disliked the White Fang almost as much. It did not take long for the hysteria to be whipped up, and now there were hundreds marching on Belladonna Lodge--they hoped, anyway. Ghira and Kali would be trapped: if they denied Weiss Schnee was present, they would be caught in a lie. If they acknowledged she was here, they would be seen as colluding with the archenemy of the Faunus. “We ran here as fast as we could to warn you.”

“Warn me? _Warn me?”_ Ghira thundered. He grabbed Corsac by the front of his robe. “Warn me about a crisis that _you two_ started, I'll wager! Do you think I’m a fool?”

Fennec bowed to Ghira. “No, Chieftain Belladonna! We didn’t!”

“The _hell_ you didn’t!” Corsac’s feet started to leave the ground. “You were the only two that knew! Until you scuttled back to that bitch Sienna and tattled!”

Corsac was startled, to say the least. Ghira was known to have a temper, but he’d never reacted like this. “But, sir!”

“Sir, there were others who saw her besides us! At the airport! The taxi driver who brought them here!” Fennec pointed out.

Ghira set Corsac down, noting that Fennec hadn’t denied telling Sienna. He did have a point, however. Others would have noticed Weiss. She had undoubtedly thought that she could escape scrutiny, since she wasn’t wearing anything that identified her as a Schnee in casual clothing, but enough Faunus would note a family resemblance in the platinum hair and ice-blue eyes. “Stay here. I’ll be back. And _I_ will address this mob.” He shut the door behind him.

Kali and Team RWBY were on their feet. He wasn’t sure they’d heard everything, so he said, “We have a problem. Those two fools out there, the Albain brothers, tell me a mob is approaching. They know about Miss Schnee, and they’re not happy. Of course, it was the Albains who probably stirred up the mob—they’re Sienna Khan’s pets.” He spit the word, which was a horrible insult among Faunus. 

“What do we do?” Blake asked.

“I will address them,” Ghira answered. “Kali and I. Once they realize we won’t turn over Weiss to them—which the idiots probably haven’t realized would end in a war with Atlas we can’t win—they’ll disperse.”

“It could hurt you politically,” Weiss said.

“It could, but we have no choice. You are our guest,” Kali told her, “and Blake’s friend. And ours, I hope. Ghira and I will see this house burned to the ground before we give up a guest or a friend.”

Ruby gave Ghira a nod. “Sir,” she said, “what would you like us to do? We brought our weapons—well, at least Yang, Weiss and Blake did.” She abruptly remembered she’d lended her mother Crescent Rose. 

“Get them,” Ghira ordered. “And pray they won’t be needed.”

Ghira expected a mob of several hundred. To his pleasant surprise, it was barely a hundred. He glanced at the Albains, who quickly hid looks of disappointment. Still, even a hundred could still do a lot of damage—and those hundred would go home and tell others. If he didn’t handle this well, the crowd could triple overnight.

They arrived at the foot of the stairs up to the lodge. It was indeed spontaneous—it was during the daytime, so there weren’t any torches, and no one had time to assemble signs. But the faces were full of anger.

Ghira stepped down about halfway. “Good afternoon,” he said evenly. “What’s this all about?”

A middle-aged man with horns that curved around his ears stepped forward. “Ghira, there is a rumor that a Schnee is under your roof.”

“The Schnee heiress!” someone shouted, which sent up a yell of indignation.

“Is that what this is about, Kellivar?” Ghira asked the horned Faunus.

“It is, Ghira.” Kellivar stepped forward, put a foot on the lower stair. “Ghira, I’ve known you for years. You’ve always been a peacemaker, but this is too far!”

“Is it true?” someone else shouted.

Ghira folded his arms over his massive chest. “It is.”

A roar of disapproval came up from the crowd. Kali went down the stairs to join her husband—though only Ruby, Yang and Blake noticed the butt of a pistol shoved into the back of her belt. Ruby had another pistol, behind her back; the principle wasn’t that much different than Crescent Rose’s sniper mode, anyway. Naturally, Yang had Ember Celica and Blake Gambol Shroud. 

“A Schnee!” A woman stepped out of the crowd, a cat Faunus that bore a bit of a resemblance to Blake, if Blake had red hair. “After what they’ve done to us—a _Schnee!”_

Ghira put his hands up in front of him. “Omaha, do we hold the sins of the fathers against their children?”

Omaha spit on the ground in front of him. “Yes! Let’s talk about children! My brothers and sisters, Ghira! The Schnees took them from me!” She took a step forward, raising her hands, only to lower them when Kali took a step forward as well. “They died in the same mining ‘accident’ that killed the Amitolas! If it _was_ an accident!”

“Yes!” A voice yelled from the crowd. “Where is justice for the Amitolas!” Blake thought for a moment it might be Ilia’s, but she could see no one. 

“You’ve betrayed the Faunus!” someone else shouted.

Kellivar turned back. “Now hold on!” he yelled back. “Ghira and Kali have fought for Faunus rights for their entire lives.” He pointed towards Blake. “That’s their daughter! I remember when she wasn’t more than a kitten, out in the streets protesting!” Blake could see recognition in many eyes; they had to know she had been in the White Fang. It wasn’t much of a secret. “Betrayal? No.” He turned back to Ghira. “Poor judgement? Yes.”

Ghira shook his head. “Kellivar, she—“

“And who are those _humans_ up there?” a Faunus with bat wings exclaimed. 

“That is my daughter’s team!” Kali yelled. “And _that_ is why Weiss Schnee is here. My daughter has given up the White Fang—which others should strongly consider.” She threw the Albains a murderous glance. “She has been accepted to Beacon Academy, which many of you know as being a fair and decent place for Faunus!”

“That’s true,” an older woman with rabbit ears nodded. “My niece goes there.”

“Must be Velvet’s aunt,” Yang whispered to Blake out of the corner of one mouth. 

“Yang,” Blake whispered back. “The Albains. Keep an eye on them. They’re both armed.” She’d seen just the hint of a knife hilt in Corsac’s belt. Yang nodded slowly, and felt the reassuring weight of Ember Celica. She hoped nothing would happen, but if it did, the Albains would be corpses number one and two.

“And this is Blake’s team,” Kali continued. “Humans, yes—but good people. They knew my daughter was Faunus—and still became friends with her. They accepted her for who she is. Look at them!” She flung a hand at Team RWBY—minus Weiss, who had been told to stay out of sight. “They stand there, armed! Not to hurt you, but to protect each other! They are training to defend us from Grimm—they are willing to lay down their _lives_ for you!”

Now it was Kellivar who put his hands up defensively. “Kali, none of us here should have any trouble with students of Beacon. Headmaster Ozpin has always been a friend to Faunus. And I’m sure they are indeed good people. That’s not the point. The point is the Schnee girl!”

“No!” Blake walked down the stairs, to Yang’s and Ruby’s surprise. “That _is_ the point. Weiss Schnee is my friend.” Another roar of anger. Blake waited until it had quieted. “I’m not going to lie to you. All of you know I was White Fang—and that I served with Adam Taurus.” Somehow she did not stumble over the name. “Some of you in this crowd would love to kill me for leaving the Fang. But I did. I went to Beacon, and my team—they not _only_ accepted me as Faunus, but as a former White Fang. Some of you may think I don’t need to be forgiven for what I did…but I do. And they forgave me. And that includes Weiss Schnee.”

There was a murmur through the crowd at that. Kellivar looked at her. “Hold on, Blake. You mean to tell me that you’re teammates with Weiss Schnee? A former White Fang combat commander, friends with the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company?”

Blake nodded and smiled. “A strange world, isn’t it?”

This evidently made Kellivar reconsider. Some of the crowd did as well, but not enough. Omaha lunged forward. “You fucking traitor!”

The pistol was out of Kali’s belt and pointed at Omaha’s face in a flash. “Back off,” Kali snarled. When Omaha looked like she would take another step, Kali thumbed the hammer back. “Omaha Tabey, if you don’t step back, I _will_ kill you. Do _not_ threaten my daughter.”

Blake’s hand was on Gambol Shroud. She knew she could easily handle Omaha, who didn’t have Huntress training, without killing her--but Kali’s blood was up. Her mother could be gentle, playful, full of fun and the type to show baby pictures to total strangers, but threaten her child, and she would kill without hesitation, a lioness defending her cub. 

“Traitor!” yelled the bat Faunus. “They’re all traitors! They’ve betrayed us!”

“That’s enough!” Kellivar shouted, but he was soon drowned out as the crowd began to chant _“Traitor! Traitor!”_ Blake noticed that only a few had started it, but others looked around, saw the others, and began joining in the chant as well. She knew this was how the White Fang got recruits: it took only a few, and then others joined out of peer pressure, a fear they wouldn’t be part of the crowd, or that the crowd might turn on _them._

The crowd began to edge forward. Ghira crouched slightly, bringing up his hands. Kali was still pointing the pistol between Omaha’s eyes. Yang saw Corsac’s hand edging towards the dagger, and prepared herself to attack. Ruby cocked the pistol, knowing that if someone fired, the crowd would surge up the stairs and roll over them like a wave. They might could retreat into the lodge, but blood would be spilled. 

Then Weiss walked out the front door. The crowd stopped for a moment at the sight of her: she had changed into her battle outfit, Myrtenaster at her side, and there was no denying who she was. Then she began walking down the steps. “Weiss!” Ruby cried. “Don’t!”

Weiss did not respond. She walked past Ghira, past Blake, and stopped next to Kali. “Miss Belladonna, if you please…” She gently reached up and pushed the pistol down. “Excuse me.” Then Weiss raised her voice. It carried easily; Weiss had been raised to speak, sing and dance publicly, and knew how to talk to a crowd—even if she’d never seen one that wanted her dead.

“I’m Weiss Schnee,” she began. “You know who I am. And what I am. And what I represent. And _I_ know why you hate me.” She paused. “And you have a damn good reason to!”

The crowd had not expected that. The murmurs died down, and hands and fists drew back. To the surprise and horror of Team RWBY and the Belladonnas, she stepped even closer to the crowd, her hands slightly raised. “When I came to Beacon a few months ago,” Weiss continued, “I believed all the stories about Faunus—how you were little more than animals. Little more than servants. And I hated you, because the White Fang tried to kill me. They hunted me, and my sister, and my brother. We could go nowhere without security. I couldn’t go to recitals without guards all around me, because my parents feared I’d be murdered. Even when I was just a child, I had to have security. So, if I must understand why you hate my family, I ask you to understand why I hated Faunus.”

The grumbling grew louder, though Weiss couldn’t tell if she was winning them or making them hate her more. “When I came to Beacon, you can imagine my disgust when I learned that my teammate was a Faunus, much less a former member of the White Fang. I wondered if she was there to kill me. There were nights I was afraid to sleep.” Blake turned in shock at that; she’d never known. “But then…as I got to know Blake Belladonna, I realized she was _nothing_ like the stories I was told. She was kind, skilled, and willing to give others a chance. Not outgoing, mind.” She winked at Blake. “But even though she knew who I was, she was not only willing to stay teammates with me, but fight alongside me against Grimm.

“And that was something, considering I learned that the stories about the cruelty of the Schnee Dust Company…were true.”

Faunus in the crowd began to look at each other, and most of them wore the same astounded look as Blake had. Weiss nodded to them. “Yes. I thought they were exaggerations. White Fang propaganda. And some were—but most weren’t. There were preventable accidents. There were corners cut. There were failures at the highest level of the company. There were safety features that should’ve been implemented that weren’t. There were promises made that were swiftly broken. And the Faunus were, and are, still treated abominably in Mantle. Though the last is not all my family’s fault, we haven’t done much to change it.” Weiss knew she was figuratively, and possibly literally, cutting her own throat. For the heiress to the Schnee fortune to admit that the SDC _had_ done much of what the White Fang accused it of was Remnant-shaking. It would eventually get picked up by news outlets—she saw a few Scrolls in the audience—and it would eventually get back to her father. He would disown her on the spot. Her mother almost certainly would as well. Whitley was too young to understand. Even Winter might refuse to see her again—honor was everything to Winter Schnee.

That broke Weiss’ heart, but she knew this was the only way. Salem wasn’t the only one who wanted peace.

“I can’t promise you that things will get better,” Weiss said. “I’m not in charge. If I was, I could promise that, but…” She laughed. “I expect I’ll be disowned for saying all of this. But so be it, because there’s not enough money on Remnant to buy friendship.” She pointed at Blake, then Yang, then Ruby. “We’re Team RWBY. And if there’s anything I’ve learned at Beacon, it’s that the team is like a family. And if that’s the only family I have left…then so be it.”

There was silence in the crowd. Then Velvet’s aunt clapped her hands. “Damn well said!” She was the only one clapping, however, and even that soon died away. 

Kellivar was looking at her strangely, but with new respect. “You actually _agree_ with the White Fang?”

“Not for a moment,” Weiss answered instantly. “What they are doing is wrong by anyone’s standards.” She nodded at Ghira. “Ghira Belladonna said it best: two wrongs don’t make a right. They’re just two wrongs.”

“What about my brothers and sisters?” Omaha snapped at Weiss. “All your flowery words won’t bring them back!”

“You’re right.” Weiss drew Myrtenaster from her belt. She was careful not to point it at anyone, and presented it, hilt first, to Omaha. “Take it.” The Faunus hesitantly gripped the sword, then held it steady. “If you think killing me will bring back your relatives,” Weiss said, “then strike.” 

Ruby’s pistol had long since dropped from her fingers, and now they were held in front of her mouth in sheer terror. Yang no longer was watching the Albain brothers; they were just as shocked as she was. She was nodding, though. “Just like Raven with me,” she whispered, so low only Ruby heard it. 

Omaha’s hand began to tremble. So was Weiss. She saw that the Faunus woman’s fingers had found the trigger, and Myrtenaster had a full weapons load of Fire Dust. At this range, it was unlikely her Aura could take it. 

Then Blake stepped in front of Myrtenaster. “Blake!” Weiss protested.

“Shut up.” She stared down Omaha. “If you want to kill her, you’ll go through me.”

“I don’t have anything against you, Blake Belladonna,” Omaha told her.

“You do now.” Blake even inched forward, so the point of the sword rested against her left breast. “Miss Tabey, listen to me. We have to forgive the humans the past. They have to forgive us the present…if we’re to have a future together. Because if we don’t have a future together, there isn’t a future at all.”

It was quiet for a long few moments. Then Omaha took the sword, turned it, and handed it to Blake. “All right,” she said. “All right.” 

There was no cheering. The crowd dispersed in complete silence. Omaha said nothing more as she walked away, swallowed up by the crowd. Kellivar nodded a salute to Weiss and Blake, and left as well. Finally, the Albain brothers made their way down the steps, subdued. They did not look disappointed, Ghira thought, but thoughtful. 

Once they were gone, Ruby and Yang rushed down the stairs and hugged Weiss. “Oh my gods, Weiss!” Ruby yelled. 

“What Rubes said,” Yang added. “Whoa! Wow! What a speech!”

Blake handed Myrtenaster back to Weiss, who sheathed it. “Did…did you mean all of that?” she asked.

“Did you?” Weiss replied, then nodded. “I meant every word. Even though I’m going to be disinherited—“ Suddenly she collapsed, falling to her knees. “Oh…holy shit…what have I done…holy shit…”

“The right thing,” Kali said, holstering the pistol. “And thank the gods you did.” She knew she would have pulled the trigger if Omaha Tabey had taken one more step. 

Ghira came forward. “Well,” he told Weiss and Blake, “if you decide not to be Huntresses, I think you have a career in politics. I wish _I_ could speak like that.” He hugged his daughter. “Where did you learn that? I’m going to steal what you said about the future together!”

Blake grinned at her father. “I learned from the best.”

Ghira and Kali stepped back as Weiss got to her feet. She couldn’t quite make it; she was shaking like a leaf. Blake and Yang got under her arms, with Ruby at her side, and Team RWBY walked up the stairs together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About time Weiss got to shine in this story. 
> 
> While I wish I could say I came up with Blake's "future together" speech on my own, that wouldn't be fair. It's a paraphrase of Julius Limbarni, a character from the fantastic movie "The Wild Geese." Besides being a fairly accurate depiction of mercenaries in Africa in the 1970s, it has an excellent lesson about racial reconciliation hidden in the explosions, gunfights, and Roger Moore's trademark snark.


	31. Love Her Madly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team RWBY and company figure out that someone who can turn invisible--or camouflage herself--has been spying on them. Yang devises an ambush for Ilia Amitola--but will Ilia step into it? And if she does, then what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this chapter has some funny parts, it's fairly dark. The next few will be a little on the dark side, but that's where the story is going--for now.
> 
> This is also a HUGE chapter. It sort of blew up. Well, as we practice this social isolation thing, it'll give you something to read.

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_That Night_

Once more, Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, the Belladonnas, and Team RWBY were gathered around the kitchen table. This time, however, the mood was not festive, but somber. Summer and Tai had returned to the lodge only half an hour after the mob had dispersed.

“So what do we do?” Ruby asked. “We can’t just wait here for the next White Fang attack.”

“I’m not leaving,” Blake said firmly. “My parents will be in danger, and I’m not leaving them!” She leaned closer to Kali and Ghira. 

Kali shook her head. “Blake, we’ll be all right. We’ve been in danger from the White Fang ever since we left them.”

“No, Mom. This is the first time they ever moved directly towards you. You _know_ it was the Albains that started those rumors! No one else knew about Weiss!”

Ghira sighed. “I’m afraid Blake is right, Kali. The Fang have always been afraid to move against us directly—even in a whispering campaign. Sienna has stepped it up. Miss Schnee was just an opportunity.” He reached across and folded both of Weiss’ hands inside his own massive one. “None of this is your fault, Miss Schnee.” Weiss smiled up at him. “Though I imagine that your father will not be pleased when he hears about what you said.”

She laughed; Weiss felt giddy with defiance. “Good.”

“Well, I’m not leaving Blake,” Yang said. 

“None of us are.” Ruby looked at her teammates. “Team RWBY forever!”

Tai brushed his goatee. He was letting it grow out some; Summer liked it. “What I don’t understand is how the White Fang knew we’d be at Fallen Princess Beach. Makes no sense. I don’t think they tailed us, either—we’re not _that_ out of practice.”

“Two trained Hunters?” Ghira nodded. “I would doubt it.”

“Not just that,” Summer added, “but except the chainsaw guy—and even him—those Fang soldiers were green as grass! They were out to kill, yes…but they were terrible at it. You’d think in dealing with two people they know are trained Hunters that they would send a better team, not a bunch of kids.”

“If it wasn’t for the fact that they _were_ trying to kill us,” Tai said, “I’d think it was just a warning. Maybe they figured we’d beat them, but we’d be scared enough to leave.”

“That’s uncharacteristic of the White Fang,” Blake told them. “Adam still is their field commander. He doesn’t tend to make mistakes like that. Though Sienna _can_ be pretty reckless with her people sometimes. Still…there are better ways to send a warning. You could’ve killed those people.”

“I thought about it,” Tai admitted, “but hell, they were mostly just kids.”

“Still doesn’t explain how they knew where you were,” Kali reminded them.

Summer leaned back in her chair. “You know, it’s weird. Right before they launched the ambush, a bunch of pebbles fell on us from the cliff. I could’ve sworn I saw a shimmer—like someone was moving, but invisible. I’ve heard of Semblances like that. But we weren’t attacked by anyone who was invisible.”

Blake’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.”

Kali’s eyebrows rose. “What? Must be bad if you’re cursing at _my_ kitchen table.”

“I know who can do that. I know who it is. Well, maybe.”

“Who?” Ghira wanted to know.

“Ilia Amitola. You guys remember her from school, the girl who had that massive crush on me? She joined the White Fang. She’s a chameleon Faunus. She can blend back into the landscape. Her clothes can’t, but if she wants to be completely invisible, she’ll go naked. And she does sort of shimmer if she’s being stealthy like that.” Blake thumped a fist on the table. “Gods. She might’ve been spying on us the whole time.”

Kali glanced at the windowed doors to the balcony. They were closed, just in case someone from the mob—or the White Fang—tried to gain entry that way. “I'd forgotten about her. How would we know?”

Blake noticed that Yang was grinning. “What?”

“Oh, nothing.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Blake. “I just got an idea.”

Ilia perched on the tree facing the rear of the Belladonna Lodge. She hadn’t been back to Sienna’s lodge or met up with any of the other White Fang members since the morning. She’d watched the amateurish attack on Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long, and smiled the whole time. Her plan had worked. She knew that the team of newbies would never defeat trained Hunters, but it served its purpose: Summer and Taiyang now knew they were being hunted. They would leave as soon as possible, otherwise their “vacation” would be spent looking over their shoulders for the next assassin, who might actually be skilled. It was a warning. Granted, she’d helped things along by giving the bare minimum of a warning.

Sienna and Adam would be disappointed, but once Ilia explained her reasoning, they would both accept it. Sienna, Ilia knew, was looking for an excuse to _not_ broaden their attacks on the Belladonnas—not yet, anyway. Adam would accept it as being two less people he would eventually have to fight. Even during their raids on the Schnee Dust Company, when Blake was still with them, Adam tried to steer clear of Huntsmen and Huntresses, precisely because of that training.

Of course, the other half of the plan had failed spectacularly, which was why she was here rather than back at the White Fang’s ersatz headquarters.

The rumors had spread as intended: she had done her job, as had the Albains. The crowd wasn’t as big as any of them had hoped, but big enough that Ilia had gone to the beach. When she’d gotten back, however, and met with the Albains in the woods, she had been shocked. Ghira or Kali disarming the crowd was a justifiable risk; the White Fang would lose nothing if that happened. But for _Weiss Schnee_ to do it was entirely unexpected. She’d not only quelled the crowd’s wrath; she’d made allies! The Faunus respected the heiress now, and she’d even given them hope that, if she should one day take over the SDC, she would bring true reform. Killing her would not only not help the White Fang now, it might actually make the situation worse.

They’d also heard nothing from Octavia’s team in Vacuo. That did not necessarily mean failure, but every passing hour meant that something had gone wrong there, too.

At this point, Ilia knew, Sienna might decide to cut her losses. The White Fang were really no less powerful for it, really. The attack on the beach could be excused as youthful exuberance; even Weiss’ speech could be turned to their advantage—after all, the heiress to the SDC had admitted that her father was an abusive asshole who hated Faunus, a sentiment the White Fang entirely agreed with. 

Still, Ilia was afraid to go back. Adam could be entirely rational, shrug and say win some, lose some. Or he could cut her throat for failing. It was hard to tell, and as a potential rival for Blake’s affections, Ilia might be living on borrowed time. He’d casually ordered Sun Wukong’s brutal death for much the same reason, not just to send a message and demoralize his enemies. 

Ilia was abruptly shaken out of her reverie by a light coming on in Blake’s room. She’d told herself she’d taken up this position because her usual observation point was probably known, but deep down Ilia knew that she was merely spying on her friend. Blake walked into her room, and opened her window. Ilia froze, barely breathing. She was wearing her jumpsuit, which was black, and as long as she didn’t give herself away, the shadows would hide her from even Faunus eyes.

Blake only lingered at the window for a short time, then turned and began to take off her clothes. The lights in the rest of the lodge were going off, so the Belladonnas and their guests were going to bed early—understandably, after a rough day. Blake took off her short vest and let it drop to the floor, then pulled off her shorts, then her shirt, leaving her standing in the room in her bra, panties and stockings.

Ilia’s mouth went dry as desire blossomed in her stomach. She knew she should leave—what she was doing was not right. She was no longer spying on the Belladonnas for the White Fang; she was now just stalking her crush, which was wrong by anyone’s standards. Even Adam didn’t go this far. She made a compromise with herself: she’d wait until Blake switched off the light, and then she would leave so as not to risk discovery. If Blake stripped further, well…

Blake didn’t, and Ilia’s eyes narrowed as the blonde girl walked in—Yang Xiao Long, she remembered. Yang was dressed in a tank top, tight sports shorts, and nothing else that she could see. But she was facing Ilia’s direction, so Ilia had to remain still.

“Hey,” she heard Yang say. “Getting ready for bed?”

“Yeah,” Blake replied. 

“Good.” To Ilia’s horror, Yang reached up and whipped off her top, exposing her large breasts and proving that she indeed wasn’t wearing anything else. It was all Ilia could do to repress a scream when Yang cupped Blake’s face in her hands and kissed her. She watched, in equal parts shock, disgust, and a bit of desire as Yang and Blake continued to kiss; Yang’s hands ran down Blake’s beautiful back to her equally beautiful rear end, rested there, and squeezed. Blake squeaked loud enough for Ilia to hear, thirty feet away, and squeaked again as Yang peeled down the panties, exposing her. “N-no…” Blake protested. “Can we at least turn off the light?”

Yang pulled back a little. “Still shy, huh? Okay, Blakey. I’ll get the lights while you get those off. Leave the stockings on,” she ordered. She walked over to the light switch and flicked it off, plunging the bedroom into darkness. Ilia’s night vision was excellent, but it would take a minute to adjust. By that time, both Yang and Blake were under the covers. 

“Yang, I don’t know about this…” Blake said, barely loud enough for Ilia to hear.

“C’mon, Blake. I did this for you last night. Reciprocate!” 

“Oh, all right…” Ilia, unconsciously, peered closer as she could see the shapes of two people under the covers. 

“Can’t believe you won’t do this with the lights on,” Yang groused. “ _And_ without the damn covers.”

“I’m shy!”

“You weren’t last night when I was knuckles deep in your pussy…pussycat.”

“Yang!” Blake yelled. “Do you _have_ to use such locker room language?”

“Oh yeah? Well, you’d better get to finger-blasting me or I’ll tell your parents that you’re bi now.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Watch me. I’ll get up and tell them right now!” Yang’s head appeared from under the covers.

“No, stop! I’ll do it…just let me…get in position here.” Ilia could see Blake moving around, and her mouth dropped open when she realized, given the lumps under the covers, that she was going between Yang’s legs.

Yang’s head was still above the covers, though one hand held up the blankets so she could see what Blake was doing. She smiled and closed her eyes, arching her back. “Yeah…yeah…that’s right, Blakey…mmm, yeah…you are _really_ good at this…” Yang took a deep breath. “Oh gods, Blake, yeah, suck my clit, suck it hard! Yeah, bitch! Suck it!”

Ilia was feeling another emotion: rage. Part of it she knew was jealousy, but Yang seemed almost forcing Blake to do this. She hadn’t seen them the night before; had they already become lovers? Ilia tried to clear her mind to think—it made sense, after Blake had left Adam—but was Blake bi the whole time? Had she always concealed it?

“Yeah… _yeah…yeah,”_ Yang was gasping. “Oh fuck, Blake! Fucking do it!”

Blake’s voice came out from under the covers. “Yang, I don’t think we should do this! My parents are still awake! _Your_ parents are still awake! And you’re getting louder—“

“I’ll make you fucking scream like a whore in heat later!” Yang snapped. A hand snaked under the covers. “No one told you to fucking stop! Fuck me like you’re from the government, Blake!”

“Yang—“

“Godsdammit, Blake, either get to fucking or get away!” Ilia saw Yang shove Blake’s head down, and her rage became blinding. Ilia screamed in anger and pain and leapt off the tree, clearing the window easily and rolling to a three-point stance. Her hand shot to her belt and withdrew her whip, snapping it into place, lightning bathing the room in a blue glow. The covers were thrown in her direction, and Ilia, with another scream of rage, ripped them in half with the whip. 

Yang had bounced over to the lights, and switched them back on. The door was flung open, and in the doorway stood Weiss Schnee, fully dressed. Ilia saw that Blake still had on her underwear and stockings, and Yang still had on her shorts.

It was a trap. She ran for the window, but a snowflake-like glyph appeared, blocking her path—and then Blake was on her, grabbing her wrists and forcing them back against Ilia’s chest, pinning the whip and pushing Ilia backwards. “Drop it, Ilia!” Blake shouted. “There’s nowhere to run now. Even if you got out that window, we’d hunt you down. Or do you _really_ think you can evade Team RWBY, my parents, _and_ two elite Hunters?” Ilia tried to bring the whip up, but Blake was stronger. “I said drop it, Ilia!” Her eyes filling with tears, the chameleon did so. The lash fell to the floor, and Blake kicked it away. Weiss bent down, handed Yang her tank top, and came into the room—as did Ruby, waiting behind Weiss with Crescent Rose in its rifle form. They’d agreed to handle Ilia themselves; Summer, Tai, Ghira and Kali were downstairs, in case the White Fang tried to break in to support Ilia.

“Are you alone?” Yang asked. She really hoped she would not have to hurt Ilia to find out, but she could tell from the tears running down her cheeks that Ilia was already broken. Blake let go of her, and Ilia sank to her knees, sobbing, and nodded.

“Ilia,” Blake said gently, “why? Why were you out there?”

“I wanted to see you,” Ilia cried. “I didn’t realize…you were already in love again.”

Yang sat on the bed. “Whoa, now. No one mentioned the l-word there, kiddo.”

“Shut up,” Ilia snarled, her skin going crimson, teeth bared in hate. “I’m not a child, you fucking bitch! You and Blake are lovers!”

Yang’s fists balled, but Blake shot her a warning glance. “Ilia…Yang and I are _not_ lovers.” It was a lie, more or less, but she needed Ilia talking, not suicidal. 

“But she said—“

“That was all for your benefit.”

Ilia fell back on her rear. “Oh gods…you used me. You knew. You’ve always known.”

“Yes,” Blake answered. “I’ve always known you loved me, Ilia. Ever since we played together when we were kids. When we were in the White Fang…it was all over your face every time you saw Adam and I together. You were jealous. You want me…or you think you do.”

Ilia buried her face in her hands. “And you _used_ that!”

“And you deserved it!” Yang exploded. Weiss and Ruby noted with alarm that Yang’s hair was starting to glow. Ilia’s head came up and Yang nodded. “Yeah, you heard me. Today you, or your friends, tried to kill my parents. My mother just came back from being lost in time for thirteen fucking years, and you tried to kill her. You tried to take her from me again, you little shit.”

“Yang—“ Weiss cautioned. Blake was stunned at how fast Yang’s own rage bloomed, and carefully put herself between the brawler and Ilia. “Yang, this isn’t helping.”

“Step aside, Blake. We’ll find out what I need to know after I beat this little murdering whore into paste.”

Blake’s eyes widened. Yang’s eyes had gone blood red. Ilia was seconds away from being attacked. Ilia knew it as well: Weiss’ glyph was still there, but it was weakening, and she edged towards it, only to have a boot touch her foot. Ilia turned to look into the barrel of Crescent Rose. Ruby looked rather upset herself. “Don’t you even think about moving,” Ruby hissed. “If my sister doesn’t punch you, I’ll _shoot_ you if you try to jump out that window. And I’ve got Fire Dust loaded in this thing.”

Ilia realized that Blake was the only thing standing between her and a very probable death. Weiss was certainly not going to interfere. “Blake, please! I _didn’t_ try to kill their parents!”

Blake looked over her shoulder. “A White Fang team tried to kill them today at Fallen Princess.”

“I know! But I tried to warn them!” Ilia swallowed. “They…oh, boy…they, the parents, well, they were having…relations…but once they were finished, I dropped some pebbles on them! I was camouflaged, so they didn’t see me! And I arranged the White Fang team to be some of our newest recruits!”

Ruby stepped back, but Yang was now on her feet. “Why?” she demanded.

“I-I just wanted to frighten them,” Ilia insisted. “I knew that Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long were too experienced to be beaten by that team. Even naked.”

Ruby blinked. “Whoa. Mom and Dad fought _naked?”_

“And what if you’d been wrong?” Yang shouted. “And let’s talk about that stunt the White Fang pulled today with Weiss! You sent that mob, didn’t you? You and those Fennec fuckers! They could’ve torn Weiss apart, or hurt Blake’s parents! So much for your ‘love of Blake,’” Yang sarcastically sang. 

Blake turned around to stare at Ilia directly. “That is a rather good question, Ilia.”

Ilia’s red skin turned bluish. “I’m…I’m sorry, Blake. Sienna…she hoped that your parents would be embarrassed. That they’d look bad and send Team RWBY away.”

“What else did Sienna order?” Blake’s voice was now getting rough-edged. 

“Please, Blake…” Ilia pleaded.

Blake knelt down. “Ilia, listen to me. Today the White Fang tried to kill the parents of two of my best friends. They tried to embarrass, or even hurt, my own parents. And who knows what would’ve happened if that crowd had gone berserk—and if it hadn’t been for Weiss, it would’ve. My mother was pointing a gun at Omaha Tabey’s head. You say you’re my friend, and while we’ve been friends since we were kids, I swear to the Brothers that I will not only step back and allow Yang to beat you senseless, I might even help.”

Ilia shook her head. “No, Blake. Please. Why?”

“Because you’re still part of an organization that wants everyone I love dead, Ilia. You decided to stand with a fanatic like Sienna and a murderous son of a bitch like Adam. You could’ve left with me, but you decided to stay.” Blake’s fists clenched. “And don’t give me that about your parents! What happened to them was horrible, Ilia, but you’re not going to bring them back, no matter how many humans you kill!”

“But…” Ilia began crying again. “Blake…I love you…”

“And yet, you stood by and let what happened today happen. You may have warned Summer and Tai, Ilia, but you still stood there while the Fang tried to kill them. And I think Yang is right—you helped the Albain brothers spread the rumors about Weiss.” Blake’s eyes were blazing almost as brightly as Yang’s. “I thought you were better than Adam, Ilia. I really did. And if you _really_ loved me, you would’ve done more than that.”

“It’s because you wouldn’t love me!” Ilia suddenly shouted. “Gods, Blake, do you know what it’s like, sitting there and watching someone fall in love right in front of you! Especially with a bastard like Adam! You never looked at me like you looked at him!” She got into Blake’s face, weeping and angry at the same time. “Why didn’t you look at me…like you looked at him? I wouldn’t have hurt you, Blake! I never would’ve hurt you!”

“Like you just did, today?” Yang asked.

Ilia stopped, and sank back. “You don’t understand, Yang Xiao Long. You’re a human. You don’t understand.”

Yang took a step forward. Her eyes were no longer red, and her hair started to lose its shine. “Try me. You’re not the only one to lose parents.”

Ilia slowly shook her head. “Yours came back.”

“And today you tried to take her away again.” Yang looked down at her. “Tell me how that makes you any different from the humans that attack Faunus. From the humans that took away your parents. You fucking tell me.” Ilia didn’t answer. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Yang turned her back and walked towards the door. “I gotta leave before I fucking kill her.”

Ruby slung Crescent Rose. “I think I need to leave too.” She wasn’t quite as enraged as Yang, but her trigger finger had gotten distressingly itchy. Ruby had never wanted to kill someone before, and she didn’t like the feeling.

Weiss picked up the whip and retreated to the door. “I’ll wait outside.” She left the door ajar.

Blake sighed and sat down next to Ilia. “Ilia, you don’t have to do this. I left the White Fang. Why can’t you?”

“Because…I don’t know what else to do.” She stared into space. “I don’t know what else to do, Blake. The White Fang is my life.”

“It was mine once, too.” Blake leaned back against the wall. “And it was hard to come to terms with some of the things we did after I left. Imagine my surprise when I ended up in the same team as the Schnee heiress.” Blake laughed a little. “But you know, although she’s high-handed, stuck up, prissy—“

“I can hear you,” Weiss called out.

“—she’s still my friend. Today she would’ve died to protect my parents. And I would’ve died to protect her. We’re a team, Ilia.”

“We were a team, once,” Ilia bitterly replied.

“And what did we ever accomplish? We killed some humans. We burned down some mines. We hijacked trains. We blew up SDC shipments. Have they stopped mining Dust? Is Atlas negotiating with Sienna? Or have we done anything but turn humans against us, Ilia? We can’t win a war by ourselves. The White Fang isn’t strong enough—and you know it.”

“Without the White Fang…without you…” Ilia cradled her head on her drawn-up knees. “I have nothing to live for.”

“You could.” Blake smiled at her. “Beacon. They accepted me. They’ll accept you.”

“You mean…be a Huntress?” Hope, a little bit of hope, sparkled in Ilia’s eyes.

“Put all that anger to good use, fighting Grimm.”

“And what about us?”

Blake reached forward and hugged her. “Ilia…this will be hard for you to understand. I don’t love you. I cherish you. You’re my oldest friend. If we became lovers, would we still be friends?”

“What about you and that Yang girl?” Ilia said. “There’s something going on. I can tell.”

Blake had to confront that, and decided to tell Ilia the truth. “I don’t know what’s up with Yang and me,” she said after some moments of silence. “During the Lust Wave, we…had sex. I couldn’t control it, Ilia. We happened to be sleeping in the same room, at her parents’ home. If you had been there…hell, if _Adam_ had been there…the outcome probably would’ve been the same.”

For the first time that night, Ilia smiled. It changed her entire face, making her look as young as she actually was. “I was in the shower…thinking of you. No surprise, I guess. And I…well, you can guess.” She let go a long breath. “A good thing, too. Ten minutes earlier, and I would’ve been fucking Adam myself, probably.”

“Who was Adam with?” Blake had a feeling that if there was anyone on Remnant who was sexually frustrated, it would be Adam Taurus.

“I don’t know,” Ilia lied. Actually, he’d been with Sienna. But that hadn’t entirely been due to the Lust Wave; Sienna and Adam had slept together more than once after Blake had left. Ilia wasn’t sure if there was genuine attraction, or they were simply using each other to scratch a mutual itch. She suspected the latter.

“Doesn’t matter,” Blake said, though one part of her felt like it _did_ matter, very much. “In any case, I don’t know what’s going on with me and Yang. Maybe nothing. Maybe something. I don’t love her, really. She’s just a really good friend.”

“With benefits,” Ilia said sadly.

“Again, maybe. But Ilia…if I were to say the same thing towards you…I would be lying. We can’t be lovers. I’m so sorry.”

“There’s no chance at all, then.”

_There’s no chance,_ Blake almost agreed. But then she would’ve said the same thing a week ago about Yang. “I don’t want to get your hopes up.” She changed the subject. “Ilia, walk away from the Fang. Come to Beacon. The White Fang won’t attack there; we’re too strong. You’d be safe.”

“It’s tempting,” Ilia said, and it was. Ilia had never lived a moment of her life without fear. She’d always been looking over her shoulder. Blake was offering something better—and Ilia had never once known Blake to lie about such things.

Blake stood up and walked to the door. “Weiss, let me have Ilia’s weapon.” Though she did not look happy about it, Weiss handed the whip to Blake, who returned to Ilia and held it out. “You can stay here if you want.”

“No…” Ilia got to her feet, and took the whip. “I need to think about this.”

“Do _not_ go back to Adam or Sienna, Ilia,” Blake warned. “They’ll kill you if they think you’re going to leave.”

“All right. I’ll find a safe place. And I’ll let you know by tomorrow.” Ilia went to the window; Weiss’ glyph had long since faded. She smiled back at Blake. “Maybe you’re right.” Then she leapt from the window, went into the trees, and was gone. Blake stood at the window for a long time.

Ilia reached the ground and dusted herself off. Then she took a deep breath. This was really something to consider—to have a chance at something resembling a normal life. To be close to Blake, even if it was just as a friend. To stop running. To quit living her life in fear. Yes, it really _was_ something to think about, and Ilia believed she knew what her answer would be the next day. But the priority now was finding somewhere to sleep. She had things back at Sienna’s lodge, but nothing she couldn’t live without.

“Hello, Ilia.”

Ilia nearly leapt out of the forest. Heart hammering, she spun to see Adam Taurus leaning against a tree. “Oh my gods, Adam! You scared the shit out of me!”

Adam pushed off the tree, walked over and glanced behind her. “I wasn’t _that_ bad. Are you all right?”

Ilia nodded. “I’m okay.”

“Good. Let’s go.” Adam walked beside her. Ilia resigned herself to going back to the lodge, but there would still be time to escape. She was good at that. “So…today did not go very well,” he said.

“No. Failures all around. We couldn’t have anticipated what the Schnee girl would say.”

Adam smiled. “I know! I actually heard that. I was hiding, of course, but I heard her. I must say, for a Schnee, she’s brave. Nothing like her worthless father or drunk mother.”

“Do we still kill her?”

Adam was silent for a moment. “No—and that sounds very strange from me. We kill her now, she becomes a martyr. She was offering reform of the SDC, which technically _is_ something we’ve lobbied for. Of course, she’ll never get close to it; her daddy will kick her to the curb in days. But no, I’m afraid Weiss Schnee has outmaneuvered us.” Ilia thought Adam sounded mildly disappointed, when she’d expected rage.

“The beach attack was a disaster,” she added after a longer stretch of silence.

“Indeed so. But that’s what happens when our greenest team is sent up against two very experienced and elite Hunters. I’m surprised they weren’t all killed, but I suspect that was more because this Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long held them in contempt; they weren’t worth killing.” Adam stopped. “Though it’s strange that amateurs were sent out. Perry was at least experienced, but there were other teams that could have been sent. And you were supposed to be there as well.”

Ilia’s heart sank. At first, she thought Adam was simply going to take the day as a loss and move on. He might still, but now he was asking questions. She concealed her thoughts, hoped her skin wasn’t betraying her, and gazed back at the mask. “I was late getting there. The battle was over by the time I got to the beach. There was no point in engaging then. They would’ve beaten me and taken me prisoner.”

“Ah. A wise choice. Why were you late?”

“Took longer in the bazaar. The Albains weren’t exactly as helpful as they claim to be.”

Adam laughed. “They’re idiots. They claim to sympathize with us, but I think they would throw us under the bus if their lives were ever threatened. That makes sense, Ilia.” She thought she’d bluffed him for a moment, but then Adam asked, “So why were you in Blake’s room for so long?”

Ilia tried to look shocked at the question. “I wasn’t. I wasn’t even in there. I’ve been in the woods all night.”

“Spying on Blake?”

“Doing my job.” Ilia decided that shading the lie with a bit of truth couldn’t hurt. “And…yes…I was spying on her a bit.”

Adam laughed again, and messed with her hair. “Ilia, you’re still in love. I never thought you would be a peeper, but…well, I admit I’ve been tempted to shimmy up those trees once or twice myself. To see if Blake has changed any. I do miss seeing that—“ He caught himself. “I’m sorry, that was cruel.”

“It’s all right. Sorry I was peeping on your ex.”

“No, you’re not. Because you weren’t.” Adam’s smile faded. “You’ve been in there awhile, Ilia. I know because I saw you jump through the window. I came into these woods to find out where you were, since you’re way overdue, and took a guess that you couldn’t help but spy on Blake. Then I see you jump through the window from this spot—“ He pointed, and Ilia saw that one could easily see where she had been hidden, and the lighted square that was Blake’s window, now closed. “—and I see the trademark Schnee glyph appear. And then I wait out here for quite a long time. I didn’t hear what was going on, but there were some raised voices. And then you jump back out with a smile on your face.” Adam got closer, one hand on his katana’s hilt. “What did you tell them, Ilia?”

Ilia knew her one chance was to try and bluff her way out again. The moment she went for her whip, Adam would draw Wilt, and her head would be rolling in the dirt. “Team RWBY decoyed me into the room by making me think Blake and Yang were having sex.”

Adam’s eyebrows rose. “That would do it.”

“They captured me, yes, but I told them I was in love with Blake, and that was why I jumped in. Which is true. Yang was saying _she_ was in love with Blake, and her and her sister threatened to kill me. Blake got them out, and we talked.”

“About?”

“She doesn’t love me. She never has. Not like that—not like what you had with her. I’m just a friend. So is this Yang person, though I guess they had sex during the Lust Wave. Not voluntarily.” 

Adam chuckled. “They’re not the only ones. I ended up with Sienna, for the gods’ sake.”

“And then Blake told me to leave…but that we were still friends, despite everything. That’s why I was smiling.”

“I see.” Adam began walking again. “I believe you, Ilia.”

“I wasn’t lying, Adam—“

“Except the part with Yang. I think she and Ruby Rose weren’t angry because of some strange lust Yang has for Blake. I think they were angry because we just tried to kill their parents. That would make me rather upset. And your survival means that either Blake talked them out of it—which I wonder at, since we also tried to hurt _her_ parents—or you begged for mercy.”

“I don’t beg,” Ilia snapped.

“I know. But you do talk. Which is why I have to do this.” In one move, Adam stopped and dropped back, let Ilia take another step before she realized what was happening, drew Wilt, and ran her through. Pain lanced through her with such intensity that she couldn’t get a breath enough to scream. She looked down and saw the sword protruding from her chest. Then blood welled up around the wound, ran down inside her jumpsuit and outside of it. Ilia let out a choking gasp, felt the blood coming out of her mouth, and then the pain of Wilt being withdrawn. She fell to her knees, her hands coming up to try and stop the bleeding. There was no more pain, but an awful, spreading coldness.

“I’m sorry,” Adam said. “But I think you betrayed us, Ilia. And for that, you’re going to have to die.” She saw him raise Wilt out of the corner of her fading vision. “I’ll make it quick. Decapitations usually are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh crap. Hate to end it on a cliffhanger...no, that's a lie. I LOVE cliffhangers. But I will say this: Ilia and Adam have been noticed. Yep--fight scene! 
> 
> Everyone stay safe out there. We live in...interesting times.


	32. Mad About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake stops Adam from killing Ilia. But then she finds out he planned that all along, and he wants some alone time with her. Which means Team RWBY is going to have to be taken care of first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay with this! I got behind on "On RWBY Wings" due to switching to online teaching, due to coronavirus (seriously, screw that thing; I hope we kill it with extreme prejudice soon), which meant that I also got behind on this story. But we should be more or less caught up. About the only thing about social distancing is that it does give me more time to write.

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_One Second After Ilia Was Stabbed_

Ilia Amitola struggled to get upright. She knew she’d never make it to her feet, but at least she wouldn’t die slumped over. If Adam was going to kill her, at least she’d die with some dignity. She closed her eyes, composed herself, and waited for the sword to take her life. She hoped it wouldn’t hurt too much. The wound she’d already taken didn’t hurt anymore, but she knew that was shock setting in.

She heard the slight uptake of breath and the whistle of wind against the blade, but then there was a gunshot. Unable to stay upright any longer, Ilia collapsed onto the ground; as she rolled she saw Adam turning in surprise. And then he smiled. “I’d forgotten how good your hearing is. Hello, Blake. Been awhile.”

“Not long enough.” Blake held Gambol Shroud in front of her, in pistol form. She’d deliberately missed, more to keep from accidentally hitting Ilia than caring about what happened to Adam. Blake had always wondered what she would feel when seeing him again. At the moment, she felt anger. She’d heard Adam’s voice—almost as if her ears were supernaturally attuned to it—and jumped down through the woods, knowing he would try to kill Ilia. 

And unless Blake could get to her, he would succeed.

Adam knew it. He stepped to one side of Ilia, Wilt back in its sheath. Blake knew that was not a gesture of peace: Adam’s specialty was the fast draw and strike. She knew no one who was faster. So did he. “So. It seems we have a problem, you and I. I’ll admit that I wouldn’t mind talking it over, our issues with each other…but Ilia’s going to bleed out before then. Which means you need to get her to a hospital before we can have our little talk.”

“Fine,” Blake shot back. “Let me get her out of here.”

Adam waved a finger. “Not so fast, Blake. What’s in it for me?”

“You don’t fucking die?” Adam turned slightly. Cutting off his path of retreat was Yang, Ruby and Weiss. All three were armed—Yang raised Ember Celica, Ruby snapped Crescent Rose's scythe into place, and Weiss held Myrtenaster in an en garde position.

Adam raised his eyebrows. “Ouch. All of Team RWBY. This is challenging, to be sure.”

“I’m not alone anymore, Adam,” Blake said.

“You never were. You had me.” His hand rested easily on the hilt of his sword. “Then again, I’m not alone either.”

“There’s no one out here,” Weiss snapped. “You _are_ alone.”

“Am I, Miss Schnee?” He gave a slight bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, by the way. I’ve long wanted to kill a member of your family.”

Weiss took a step forward, remembering all the times her ice skating practice, her recitals, even her movement to and from Schnee Manor had to be guarded by the Atlesian military, for fear she would be murdered by the White Fang. “Then let’s find out—“

“Weiss, don’t!” Blake warned. “He’s baiting you. He’s better than you.”

Adam whistled. “Oh! I bet _that_ hurt. But still, she’s right…Weiss. I _am_ better than you. Your sister might be my equal, but you’re not quite there yet.” Ruby grabbed Weiss’ shoulder to keep her from launching herself at him. “But if you really want to test your blade, you might want to go around front. Miss Rose, Miss Xiao Long, you as well.” He inspected the glove on his left hand. “You just got your mother back, and I’d hate to see you lose her again.”

There was an explosion from the front of the Belladonna Lodge. Adam inclined his head in that direction. “Sienna Khan originally wasn’t going to attack. She was going to take the loss and move on. But then I convinced her that the Belladonnas would counterattack, probably with the full force of Beacon Academy behind them, in retaliation for the botched beach assault on Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long today. So Sienna feels she’s got nothing to lose. Fear makes people so easy to control.”

“You…you said…Weiss…didn’t want…martyr…” Ilia struggled out. Her skin was turning a shade of gray.

“Save your strength, Ilia. And you’re right. We don’t want Weiss as a martyr. We want her alive.” Adam smiled at Weiss. “So you’re going to survive this battle, Weiss. I can guarantee it. I doubt your father cares overmuch about you, but your mother might be a different story. You’ll fetch a pretty high price from the SDC.” He sighed. “You know, every moment we stand here, the White Fang get closer to blowing the doors off the lodge, and poor Ilia here gets closer to death. I did try to avoid her heart, but that punctured lung of hers is going to be an issue.”

“You knew,” Blake breathed. “You _knew_ I was going to hear you.”

“Well, I did my best to make sure my voice would carry to those four ears of yours, hon.” Adam’s fingers tapped on the hilt of the sword. “So which is it going to be? Fight me or fight Sienna and her team? The Albains are there too, I believe.”

“Let’s go,” Ruby ordered. “Yang, you stay here. Weiss and I will be right back, and we’ll see if this smug son of a bitch can fight off all of us.”

Adam winced theatrically. “Language, Miss Rose, language.”

Weiss put a hand on Yang’s shoulder, and looked across to Blake. “We’ll be back.” Then she was using glyphs to propel herself back through the open window to Blake’s room, while Ruby was gone in a shower of petals. 

Adam bent down, his eyes never leaving either one of them, took off his coat, and draped it over Ilia. He put her hands over the wound and pressed down, eliciting a gasp from her. “Keep pressure on it.” He then straightened up. “I’m not sure how much time she has.”

“State your terms, Adam,” Blake hissed. If he’d planned something, it was with a goal in mind, and she knew what it was.

“Come back with me—“ Adam began.

“Oh, I fucking _knew_ it!” Yang shouted.

“This doesn’t concern you,” Adam said to her calmly, then returned his attention to Blake. “I’m not so stupid as to think you’re going to fall back in love with me, Blake. But I do want to talk about it. So, drop your weapon, walk over to me, and I’ll allow you to hand Ilia over to Miss Xiao Long here. It would’ve been better if her sister stayed, since she's faster, but that’s the breaks. Then, when we’re alone, we’ll have our chat.”

“And you’ll kill me,” Blake finished.

Adam shook his head. “Blake, I love you. I never stopped loving you. Why would I kill you?” He shrugged. “I’ll sweeten the deal. I’ll even call off the attack.”

“Sienna’s leading it.”

“She is, but the White Fang are loyal to me, not her. She’ll find herself alone against your parents, which can’t end well for her.”

“Wait, you’d let your leader die?” Yang asked.

“Given her history of failure, it may be time for a change in leadership,” Adam replied. “Anyway, up to you, Blake. I’ve got all night. Ilia doesn’t.”

“All right.” Blake set down Gambol Shroud. Raising her hands, she walked forward until they were nearly touching. She could smell him now—the masculine smell of him that never ceased to send a tingle down her spine. This was no different; her body responded even if her mind didn’t. Adam took a step backwards to let her pass, and inhaled deeply. “Mmm.” He then ostentatiously checked out her backside. “Glad to see you’ve been working out.”

“Are you _trying_ to piss me off?” Blake snarled.

“You’re right. My apologies.”

Blake bent down and looked at Ilia. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I should’ve known.”

“It’s okay.” Ilia coughed up dark blood. Blake saw both eyes were dilated; Ilia was dying. She tucked Adam’s coat around her, then motioned Yang forward.

_“Blake!”_ Yang shouted.

Blake instinctively leapt forward, but Adam had already drawn Wilt in a blur, spun it in one hand, and stabbed downwards. She howled in pain as Wilt went straight through her leg to pin her to the forest floor. 

Yang’s eyes went red and her hair exploded into flame, but Adam gripped the sword tighter. “One step forward, Yang, and I will take her leg off.” Yang stopped, and Adam glanced at Blake. “Bad enough you left me, Blake, but it’s worse that you think I’m stupid on top of it. Let me guess: as soon as Yang grabbed Ilia, you were going to make a dash for Gambol Shroud, and leave me talking to a shadow clone, weren’t you?” He twisted the sword slightly, and Blake gritted her teeth against the agony. Wilt’s blade was red hot, infused with Fire Dust, and it had already cauterized the wound. “Was that it? Answer me!” 

Actually, that had not been Blake’s intention at all. She really _had_ intended to talk to Adam, and keep him talking until reinforcements arrived. But Adam did have a tendency to project his own distrust of people onto others. “Go to hell!” she screamed.

Yang tensed. _This psycho bastard is going to kill us all,_ she thought. _He figures if he can’t have Blake, no one will._

Adam was watching her, however. “Yang, before you leap at me, you should know something. My specialty is the draw cut, as I’ve just demonstrated. I can have my sword out of Blake’s leg and across your throat in a moment. I’d actually prefer not to do that. Blake and I have some issues to discuss, and I’d prefer not to have our conversation in front of a third party.” He leaned on Wilt, and a gasp of pain escaped Blake’s lips. “You may have fucked her, but you don’t love her. So run along and help your sister save your parents. If you can.”

“What about Ilia?” Yang growled.

“What about her? She’s a traitor.” Seeing her bare her teeth in rage, Adam smiled. “Moment of truth, Yang! Do you think you’re faster than me?”

“Yang, _don’t!”_ Blake shouted. 

Yang dropped her arms, and Adam nodded. “Me neither.” Then she put her arms behind her, and fired Ember Celica, propelling her directly at him. In midair, she brought her fists upwards; Yang would drive Ember Celica into his chest, right arm first, and with any luck blow Adam Taurus’ heart out through his back. But even as she considered that happy thought, Yang saw the sword come out of Blake’s leg, and hiss a red streak through the air as Adam went for a cross-body cut that would not only take off Yang’s right arm, but probably her head as well. _Ah, shit,_ Yang thought, more angry at herself than scared. 

A spray of blood hit Yang in the face, blinding her. She instinctively went into a roll, somersaulted, and came up on her feet next to Blake. To her surprise, both hands were still there. 

Wilt flew down the path, with Adam’s right hand and most of his forearm still holding it. Adam still carried through, and it took a moment to realize his arm was no longer there. The pain hit a moment later, and he screamed as he gripped the stump with one arm, blood pumping from it. 

“Well, hello there, Yang.” Raven Branwen stepped from the portal, Omen held in front of her, the greatsword dripping with blood. 

“Mom?” Yang said the word without thinking.

Raven’s eyes widened. “Wow. I was _not_ expecting you to say that.” She looked down at Adam, who had fallen onto his back, holding the stump, trying to stop the blood. “Who’s this? Should I let him bleed out?”

“Yes,” Yang snarled.

“No!” They turned to Blake. “No.” She took her jacket off and crawled towards him, pain stabbing upwards from her leg with every movement. Raven stopped her with a hand, sheathed Omen, then withdrew it again. This time, it glowed red. She knelt in front of Adam, grabbed the stump, and pressed the blade to it. Adam screamed, in both pain and remembered terror, but the blood stopped flowing. Raven reached up, slapped away Adam’s feeble attempts to stop her, and tore off his mask. She recoiled slightly at the brand over his right eye, and the deformed eye that stared back at her. “I know you,” she said. “Adam Taurus, of the White Fang.”

He tucked his hand into his chest. “And…who the fuck…are you?” he gritted out.

“Raven Branwen. I’m Yang’s mother. Can’t you see the resemblance?” She sheathed Omen for good this time. “I suppose I never did tell you, Yang,” she said to her daughter. “I know when you’re in danger. I kind of sensed that you’d need my help, so…here I am.” She smiled. “See? I am good for _something.”_

Yang grabbed Blake’s jacket and wrapped it around her friend’s leg. It wasn’t bleeding and Adam’s strike had missed the bone, but tendons and nerves had been cut; she wouldn’t be able to walk on it. She tried to ignore the pain and reached out to Ilia. Yang gently pushed her back, and went over to the chameleon Faunus. 

Ilia stared sightlessly upward, blood trickling from her mouth. “She’s dead,” Yang said.

Raven turned, put a hand on Ilia’s chest. “Not quite yet.” She flung away Adam’s jacket. “Ah. There’s the problem.” She then reached out, put both hands on the wound, and closed her eyes for a moment. Then she opened them again, and red fire coalesced around her eyes. The fire then appeared around Raven’s fingertips, and smoke curled upwards as she sealed the wound. Ilia blinked, coughed again, and tried to sit up.

Yang shrank back. “What the hell? You can bring back the fucking _dead?”_

Raven laughed. “She wasn’t dead yet, silly. You’ve seen too many movies. She was just about there, though.” She put a hand on Ilia’s forehead. “Lie still. You’ve still got a punctured lung and you’ve lost a shit ton of blood. All I did was stabilize you. You’re still going to die unless we get you to a hospital.” They looked up at another explosion. “Oh, that figures. I swear, I cannot leave Summer and Tai alone for a week.”

“Yeah, we gotta get over there.” Yang was still staring at her. “Mom…Raven…what are you?”

Raven shrugged. “I’m the Spring Maiden.”

Adam had been starting to crawl away, to try to get into the underbrush, but even he stopped at that. “You mean…the Maidens are _real?”_ Blake exclaimed.

“Long story.” Raven turned and slashed at the air. A red portal trailed in the sword’s wake. “Yang, this portal will take you back to my camp. Vernal’s waiting. Tell her who you are and that I sent you. We have healers that can save your friend here.” She crossed over to Blake. “You too, kid. I’ll get you through, along with Asshole over here, and—“

“No,” Blake growled. “Leave us here. Take Ilia, Yang—Raven, they’ll need you out front. If you’re a Maiden, that should end things fairly quickly.” She stabbed a finger at Adam. “Neither one of us is going to bleed out, so…you wanted to chat, Adam? Fine. Let’s chat.”

Raven stepped back. “Um…excuse me?”

“He’s Blake’s ex,” Yang explained, picking up Ilia.

“Wow. And I thought I had ex-husband problems.” She prodded Yang towards the portal. “Drop off Ilia and come back. I’ll leave the portal open.” Yang nodded, stepped through, and was gone. Raven quickly gathered up Gambol Shroud—remembering that was Blake’s weapon—and handed it to her. “I’ll leave you two to marriage counseling. Be right back.” She shot upwards, clearing the Belladonna Lodge in a single leap.

“We’re not even married…” Adam groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was going to switch back and forth from Blake/Adam to Everyone Else/White Fang, but I decided to divide it up. We'll get to see how everyone does in the Battle of the Lodge next time. (Hopefully in two days, but maybe three. I should be writing this rather than obsessively following the coronavirus crap, but unfortunately, I do too much of the latter.)


	33. Ballroom Blitz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The White Fang launch a massive attack on the Belladonna Lodge--defended only by Summer, Tai, Ghira and Kali. Team RWBY is on the way, but can their parents hold long enough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This was a tough one to write. Mass combat is not really my forte, but I think it turned out all right, if a little rushed in places.

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_Five Minutes Before Blake Confronted Adam_

Yang, Ruby and Weiss dashed down the stairs. Summer, Tai and the Belladonnas were sitting on the couch, sipping tea and coffee, waiting to hear what they’d learned from Ilia. “Where’s the fire?” Tai asked, getting up.

“Blake overheard Adam Taurus in the woods out back!” Yang shouted, as they raced through the kitchen. “We’re going out the back to cut him off!”

“Be careful!” Summer called out. “When you get back, we’re going to have a talk about your locker room language, missy!” She realized as soon as she said it that it sounded stupid: Yang was going into combat, not going to a sleepover.

“Mooom!” Yang flung open the doors to the balcony and leapt into the woods, followed by Ruby and Weiss.

Ghira got to his feet. “We should help them. Adam is a formidable opponent; even alone, he may be a match for Team RWBY.” He had been sitting on the couch barechested, which kept distracting Kali, but now he shrugged on his armored coat. Taiyang followed him. Summer glanced around. “I could use a weapon,” she said.

“Let me get our firearms,” Kali told her. “Not as good as a Huntress’ weapon, but they’ll do in a pinch.” She started towards the closet.

Then the door exploded. 

Wood fragments shot through the living room; the concussion knocked both Ghira and Tai down, and a large piece landed on the former. Summer, with a Huntress’ reflexes, tackled Kali to the floor, wrapping herself over her, trusting her Aura to take the worst of it. Once the concussion wave had passed, she rolled over. “Oh shit.”

Standing in the door were at least a dozen White Fang soldiers, one of whom tossed aside a smoking antitank launcher. In the lead stood Sienna Khan, whip in hand. She stepped forward. “Ghira, Kali…I’m sorry it’s come to this. I’d hoped you would join us, but those days are past. We can no longer afford to have leaders who sit on the sidelines, and I much prefer striking first rather than second.”

“You attacked us!” Summer shouted. She was watching Tai, who was slowly getting to his feet. Ghira was weakly stirring. 

“Yes, and I should’ve sent more people. You’ll notice I’m not making that mistake this time.”

Summer helped Kali up. “Sienna, this is insane!” Kali screamed. “It doesn’t have to be like this!”

“No, Kali, this is war. And there’s no room for half-measures in war. The White Fang will show what happens to Faunus who collaborate with humans, especially Beacon’s trained assassins.” She pointed the whip at Summer. “Surrender, and I might spare your lives.”

Kali spit. “Not bloody likely!”

“I thought as much.” Sienna nodded to her troops. “Kill them. Kill them all.”

The White Fang charged with a yell. They were expecting their four foes to retreat, but while Summer dived into the kitchen, Kali stood her ground. Ghira was getting up. It was Tai who surprised the White Fang more than anyone: he charged with a shout, flinging his arms outwards. His charge took down four Fang soldiers in a tackle, and threw their charge into disarray. It was only temporary, however: the others, getting over the shock of the sudden attack, grabbed Tai and pulled out knives.

Ghira roared, grabbed the large piece of door that had hit him, and waded in, using it as a battering ram. White Fang were flung aside as if they were children, and he fought his way through to Tai. Tai, for his part, elbowed one soldier in the gut, got a hand free, and blocked the downward thrust of a knife with his forearm. He brought his foot down onto the heel of a third, and the Faunus yelled as bones audibly crunched.

Most of the soldiers concentrated on Tai and Ghira, but two broke through and headed for Kali. She had no weapons, but then she saw the tea tray on the table. Kali feinted right, then dodged left, buying herself a precious second, and grabbed the tray. She winced as crockery shattered onto the floor—it had been Ghira’s mother’s tea set—but brought up the tray as one of the soldiers stabbed at her. Kali caught the knife in the tray, which dented under the blade but didn’t break; it was solid sterling silver. She then cracked her attacker across the face with it, sending him flying into the sofa. “Come into _my_ house, you son of a bitch!” she screamed, baring her teeth. “I’ll _kill_ you for this!” 

Sienna held back. She’d anticipated this kind of fight: the dozen troops were merely the first wave, there mainly to wear down the two biggest threats: Taiyang and Ghira. Both men were holding their ground, but for every White Fang they knocked down, most got back up. Sienna glanced towards the kitchen. Summer was another threat, though without a weapon she was less so. But Sienna had planned for that as well: the second wave would be coming soon, led by Corsac Albain. She looked behind her, where thirty more White Fang waited; they would be committed as soon as her opponents were nearly at the end of their Aura, exhausted. Adam and Ilia, once they had dealt with Team RWBY, would likely hit from the rear of the house; even if one or both died, Sienna reflected, they’d take the team with them.

She would have to be careful: the problem with fighting in the confined space of the Belladonna Lodge was that the more soldiers she committed, the more they would get in their own way. She continued to wait, twirling her Cerberus Whip, waiting for the right moment to commit her reserves, and herself.

Summer hurriedly looked around the kitchen for weapons: once, in a bar melee started by Raven and Qrow, they hadn’t had any weapons to fight a biker gang. Summer had then discovered that the kitchen was the deadliest room in the house, filled with knives, rolling pins, steel frying pans, and household cleaners, all of which could be turned into melee weapons. 

Unfortunately, she wasn’t going to have time to look: she saw another group of White Fang climbing over the balcony railing, led by Corsac Albain. They would hit Kali, Ghira and Tai in the flank; she would have to hold the kitchen alone for a bit. Summer’s eyes fell on a broom. She snatched it, brought a boot down on the top of the brush to snap it off, and ended up with an ersatz staff. Corsac came to a sudden stop, as did the male and female Faunus behind him. Attacking through the kitchen was a mistake: the position of the huge table there acted as a funnel; it would be difficult to attack Summer more than one at a time. Still, there were eight of them and one of Summer.

The first charged her, bringing up fists clad in cesti, spiked gloves. Summer screamed and drove the blunt end of the staff into his chest. The Faunus stopped cold, all the breath going out of him, and fell at her feet. She gave him no chance and rammed the staff into his face. Then a second was on her, and he was less eager: instead, Summer was driven backwards by his heavy punches, blocking them with the staff, but enough got through to strike her Aura, and she nearly fell. He drove her back into the living room, opening up the funnel—but also giving Summer more room as well. In a flash of red, she ran around her attacker twice, driving the broomhandle into kidneys and hamstrings, finally sweeping his legs out from under him. But now her first opponent, bleeding and angry, was back up.

Summer spun the staff and waited. _Well, I’ve been in worse spots,_ she thought.

Tai drove a fist into a stomach, kicked at a knee, and finally got himself out of the melee, to give himself some room. He couldn’t help but smile: it had been awhile since he’d been in a fight like this, and he was not going to hold back: the White Fang were out for murder. The other reason he needed some room was because Ghira seemed to be doing all right by himself. 

Tai watched as Ghira slammed a paw down on one White Fang’s head, driving her to the floor so hard she bounced. Another tried to tackle him, but Ghira barely moved, then threw the unfortunate attacker into one of his comrades, knocking both down. Another stepped up with a dagger and drove it through Ghira’s Aura and into his shoulder. The panther looked down at the knife wielder in annoyance and backhanded him; the White Fang went into a wall, slid down, and lay very still.

Sienna knew it was time: her troops were beginning to falter, and they were taking steps back as Ghira and Tai grinned at them. It certainly didn’t help when another soldier fell at Tai’s feet, a sterling silver tea tray wrapped over her head like a hat. Sienna saw Kali dive behind the sofa, but she was temporarily no threat.

“Tai!” Summer’s voice caused his head to turn, and he ran to the right to help his wife, who despite her speed was having trouble holding off four people at once. Sienna saw Ghira was momentarily distracted, and snapped her whip. The White Fang instantly stopped their retreat, and this time she went forward, leading the charge herself.

Tai took up position on Summer’s left, automatically covering her flank as he always had. The White Fang charged here as well, but now the two Hunters met their charge with one of their own. Summer swept her ersatz staff in a wild sweep, but that had been a mistake: her momentum carried her past her target, and though she was able to dodge a swing of a knife, she ended up slamming herself into the refrigerator. Her opponent lunged, but Summer reached up, grabbed the freezer handle, and threw it open; the White Fang hit the freezer door head on. She was through being sporting: Summer took the splintered end of the staff and drove it like a spear into the soldier’s stomach. His Aura flared and died, and the end carried through into him, impaling the White Fang, who screamed in horrible pain. He fell backwards, taking the staff out of her hands. Another soldier came at her with a mace, but Tai was there, grabbing the White Fang from behind and executing a suplex into the tiled floor. He let go, dodged a downward thrust from Corsac’s dagger, which left a scorch mark across the floor. “Let’s go!” Corsac urged his five remaining troops forward.

Then his feet slid out from under him. What had been a desperate fight turned into low comedy as all the White Fang in the kitchen slipped, skidded, and fell. Tai almost did, but stepped back onto the carpet and got his footing. The floor had turned to ice.

Weiss Schnee had arrived. She pulled Myrtenaster’s blade from the floor and slid forward effortlessly, used to fighting on the ice. One of the White Fang managed to keep his feet and turned to oppose her, only to be tackled out of her boots as a blur of rose petals hit the soldier and drove her clear into the living room. Ruby fetched up next to her father, Crescent Rose at the ready. 

Kali flung open the closet as she stole a quick glance at the front. The White Fang were splitting: half were headed for Ghira, and Sienna shifted to the right to flank him; the other were going for the kitchen. There was no time for finesse: she grabbed the blunderbuss. Against every rule of gun safety, it was already loaded, as Kali risked the small possibility of accidental discharge against a situation like this: she figured that if she’d ever need it, she wouldn’t have time to load it. She took four steps forward, braced the gun against her shoulder, and pulled the trigger.

The blunderbuss was loaded with a mixture of shot and nails. The effect was like firing a small cannon: the White Fang flanking attempt was thrown back before Tai and Ruby had even noticed it. None of the White Fang were killed—their Aura had saved them—but quite a few were wounded, two badly, rolling and screaming with nails embedded in flesh. Kali wondered if her shoulder was dislocated, but she threw down the blunderbuss and grabbed her pistol case, wrenching it open and grabbing both weapons. She drew back the hammers and opened fire, dropping two White Fang who were getting up. “You’re covered!” she shouted at Tai.

One of the White Fang saw Weiss, remembered Adam’s orders to take her alive, and ignored it: he pulled a pistol from his sash, pointed and fired. Weiss brought up two fingers, summoning a glyph. It was a small one, but it deflected the bullet. She leveled Myrtenaster and returned the fire, selecting gravity Dust: the soldier was driven into the icy floor as his weight suddenly quadrupled. Weiss slid past him, driving the guard of her sword into his head and knocking him unconscious.

“Weiss, behind you!” Ruby shouted, and Weiss turned, bringing up Myrtenaster to parry Corsac’s dagger; he had seen the heiress and was determined that, if nothing else, he was going to either take her as a hostage or kill her. He was bigger and stronger than Weiss, but the unsure footing robbed him of his advantage, and Weiss drove him back. 

Two White Fang advanced on Tai, and Summer reinserted herself into the battle by tackling one of them around the heels. Tai dueled the other, but Ruby could see two more White Fang, finally getting their feet and climbing onto the kitchen table, where they could attack Weiss. Ruby dashed forward, covering her mother and the soldier she’d tackled in rose petals, and threw herself down the table, taking the legs out from under the two White Fang, who fell hard onto the table, then crashed onto the floor. Ruby herself went off the end of the table, landed lightly on her feet, then slipped on the ice. She screamed a very bad word and windmilled her arms before she drove Crescent Rose’s blade into the floor, keeping herself in place.

Corsac had abruptly realized that Weiss could more than defend herself: she was not only parrying his thrusts, but pushing him into a corner where she and Ruby could both attack him. Worse, she was making short, professional stabs in between the parries, robbing him of his Aura and drawing blood. He finally got onto one part of the kitchen floor that wasn’t icy, dropped his dagger, and fired at Weiss’ feet. The bolt of fire surprised her: she was able to dodge, but came down hard on a knee. She yelled in pain, and Myrtenaster slipped from her grasp, bouncing across the floor under the table. 

Corsac saw his opportunity: he raised his dagger over his head with both hands, intending to stab downwards into Weiss’ skull, all thoughts of capture gone, only hate for Weiss and everything she represented. Weiss saw the dagger poised and prepared to throw herself backwards, to turn a killing strike into hopefully only a wounding one. Then Corsac let out a gasp, and Weiss looked up. The dagger fell from his hands, which gripped feebly at the blade of Crescent Rose, sunk through the junction of neck and left shoulder. Then he slumped forward, sliding off the blade in a welter of blood that stained the ice red. His eyes stared up at Weiss, blinked once, and were still. 

Ruby drew back Crescent Rose, dripping with gore, her silver eyes wide. 

Sienna snapped her whip at Ghira, flinging bits of fire and ice Dust: this actually was enough to make him howl with pain and fall back. She spun and repeated the motion. Ghira’s cloak, already stained with blood—his own and others—caught fire. He flung it off and used it to knock a White Fang soldier off her feet, then grabbed another by the soldier’s throat. Ghira lifted him off his feet and slammed him down one handed through the table. Then he was hit again by more Dust. He fell back, almost tripping over the sofa, and swung a huge fist at her. Sienna danced out of the way, and this time hit Ghira in the back. 

The battle had degenerated into a melee, but Sienna could tell it hung in the balance: a lot of her troops were down, badly wounded, but the numbers were beginning to tell. She whipped Ghira one more time, somersaulted out of his reach, and shouted towards the door. “Now, Fennec!”

Fennec Albain shook himself from the shudder that had gone through him: he wondered if something had happened to his brother. But that could wait. He raised his dagger. “White Fang, follow—“

He was thrown back in a sudden explosion, a shockwave that knocked all thirty of Fennec’s troops to the ground, bent the trees, and cracked every window in the Belladonna Lodge. Fennec shook his head and looked up. A woman slowly straightened, a red sword in her hand, clad in red armor, but it was the flames coming from her eyes that caused him to crawl back a foot. 

The shockwave shook the lodge as well, enough that Sienna stumbled. Ghira was busy—he had been jumped by two White Fang, taking advantage of his wounds—but Kali wasn’t. Out of ammunition, she flung her pistols aside, got a running start, and speared Sienna into the wall. 

Sienna was taken by surprise, and her Cerberus whip was knocked from her hands. She’d just realized that when Kali drove an uppercut into her jaw. Sienna’s teeth clacked together and they locked eyes. “This is my home,” Kali snarled. “And this is my family.” 

The High Leader suddenly brought her arms up and grabbed Kali around the throat, but Kali drove both arms downwards and broke the chokehold. She then pinned Sienna to the wall with her left arm while she sank two quick jabs into her opponent’s stomach. As Sienna doubled over, Kali punched her across the face. Sienna dropped to one knee, only for Kali to punch her in the back of the head and then kick her in the stomach. 

She didn’t see two White Fang closing in, knives raised. Ghira did. He threw the two soldiers on him aside, grabbed the sofa, and flung it at the two getting ready to stab Kali as if it weighed nothing. The sofa sent them crashing into a wall. Kali didn’t notice: Sienna had rolled over, but Kali dropped both knees into the High Leader’s chest, and was punching her in the face.

Fennec got to his feet. “Who the hell are you?”

“Raven Branwen,” the woman replied. “I'm a Huntress. This is over. I just took your commander’s arm off, and if you don’t haul ass, I’ll take a lot more off you.” She leveled the sword.

The rest of the White Fang troops were also back on their feet. Fennec shook his head slowly. “You’re one human. We’re thirty Faunus.” He raised and dropped the dagger. “Run over her!” He then ran straight at her, slinging wind Dust at Raven.

Raven swung the sword straight downwards. Impossibly, the wind parted in front of her, doing nothing more than blowing her hair straight back. Fennec had barely enough time to see that before she stepped into his charge. Raven moved in a blur, then leapt backwards, trailing crimson fire behind her. 

Fennec literally came apart. His legs took two steps before separating from his torso, his arms fell free to both sides, and his head seemed to leap off his shoulders. There was no blood, the cuts clean and cauterized instantly by the white-hot blade. She raised the sword and slammed the blade into the ground; another shockwave drove the White Fang back. Raven smiled down at them. “The next time I swing, every one of you will die.”

The White Fang soldiers looked at her, then at the dismembered remains of Fennec Albain. One turned and ran. As if it was a signal, the rest quickly followed.

Kali continued to drive her fists into Sienna's face, ignoring the flare of a dissipated Aura, the crunch of bones—both Sienna’s nose and her own knuckles--the blood flecking her own features, which were drawn back in a rictus of hate. She was lost in a red rage, determined to finally end the threat to her family once and for all.

“Kali! Kali, stop!” She ignored the voice, until Ghira’s hands closed around her arms and hauled her off. “It’s over, my love. It’s over.” 

It was. A few of the White Fang had seen Raven’s arrival, and this stopped them long enough to see their comrades turn and run. Now Raven began mounting the steps, her eyes still trailing flame, and realizing their avenue of retreat was cut off, Ghira bloody but still standing, and Sienna beaten to a pulp by Kali, knew it was time to surrender. They dropped their weapons and raised their hands, then shrank back as Raven entered the house.

“There goes the damn neighborhood,” Tai grinned. He gripped his side. It had been a near thing: his Aura was depleted, but there were five White Fang stirring weakly at his feet. Summer dropped a bloody rolling pin; her white cloak was torn, burned, and speckled with red, and she sported a developing black eye.

The ice had largely melted, and Weiss was covering the two White Fang Ruby had knocked off the table with Myrtenaster. They also had their hands raised. “Miss Rose!” she called out, then motioned her head towards Ruby. Summer, fear climbing into her throat, dashed to her younger daughter’s side.

Ruby was unhurt, but was on her knees, Crescent Rose almost forgotten at her side, staring at Corsac Albain’s body. “I killed him, Mom,” she said woodenly. “I killed him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes. There was a lot of death in that chapter, but there was no way this battle wouldn't have at least a few--not with the White Fang out to kill. They may have seemed a little inept in this chapter, but they were up against some very skilled opponents. I figure "normals" attacking Huntsmen and Huntresses in the RWBY Universe is like a human taking a swing at an X-Man or a member of the Justice League. There's a few that can pull that off, but very few. Even so, Raven made the difference. (Poor Sienna. It's not fair when your enemy has a Maiden as backup.)
> 
> Next chapter: Blake and Adam have a talk, and so do Summer and Ruby. Ruby has just taken a life...


	34. I Love You, I'll Kill You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle of Belladonna Lodge is over, but the aftermath is only beginning. Ruby has to come to terms with the fact that she's taken a life, while Blake and Adam have their long-awaited chat. None of them will ever be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a quick chapter, but I hope it's a good one. We'll get back to some funny and smexy stuff next chapter.

_The Belladonna Lodge South Woods_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_A Minute After Raven Departed_

Adam Taurus crawled to a tree along the path, and pushed himself up against it, cradling his severed arm with his good one. Blake leaned on one arm, trying to ignore the waves of pain from her leg. He stared at her, and then smiled. “Aren’t we a pair of sorry bastards.”

Blake couldn’t help but smile back. “Aren’t we.” Gritting her teeth against the pain, she managed to sit up. “Well, you wanted to talk. Here we are.”

“I suppose there’s no point in doing anything else.” He got to a better position. “Why did you leave me, Blake?”

“You’re a psychotic son of a bitch?” she answered.

“I’ll grant you that I’m a son of a bitch, but I’m not psychotic.”

Blake laughed, though there wasn’t a lot of humor in it. “Really? You just nearly killed Ilia, you stabbed me in the leg, and you were going to kill Yang.”

Adam shook his head. “Ilia betrayed the White Fang, you were going to run, and Yang attacked me first.”

“After you goaded her into attacking! And what made you think I was going to run?”

He smiled at her. “You always have.”

Blake’s fingers closed around Gambol Shroud, still in its pistol form. Every instinct told her to raise the weapon and shoot Adam between the eyes. But she fought it down. In a way, that would be running too: Adam would die knowing he’d pushed her beyond the edge. “Not anymore, Adam. I have a team now.”

“With the heiress to the Schnee fortune?” Adam scoffed. “She’ll never accept you.”

“She already has.”

He didn’t answer for a moment. “She can talk a good game, but then so can all the Schnees. Talk is their family Semblance.” He reached up and fingered the burned scar on his face. “You _do_ remember this.”

Blake nodded tiredly. “I remember that you’ve used it as an excuse for every atrocity you’ve ever committed. When are you going to admit it to yourself, Adam? You don’t kill because you have to or out of revenge, you kill because you enjoy it!”

“That’s not true,” Adam argued. “I kill to free our—“

“Oh, horseshit!” Blake cut him off. “We’ve killed Faunus, too. Guards just trying to get by for the SDC, Faunus who you or Sienna thought were traitors—what the hell are you grinning at?”

Adam _was_ grinning, against the pain. “You just said ‘we’. _‘We’_ killed.”

Blake nodded, looking daggers at him. “Yes. We. I killed too. And while I’d like to say it was all in self-defense, it wasn’t always. But I’ve come to regret it. I’ve come to regret everything we did in the White Fang.” She shook her head. “One day I woke up and realize we weren’t fighting monsters; we _were_ the monsters.”

He laughed. “You mean to tell me that there wasn’t one part of our missions you didn’t enjoy?”

“I enjoyed letting loose slaves, yes. Not the killing, Adam. Never the killing.”

“How strange. I seem to remember a certain raid on a Schnee dust mine about, oh, this time last year, I think it was.” He made a show of remembering. “You took great pleasure in killing several guards. You even strangled one to death with Gambol Shroud. And then…well, I’m sure you haven’t forgotten what happened afterwards. I know I haven’t.”

Involuntarily, Blake felt a tingle between her legs. That had been the raid that had ended up with her and Adam against a wall of the mine, eagerly having sex. She could remember his tongue in her mouth, her yowls of pleasure, the taste of danger and discovery that made it all the more exciting. Adam gave a slow nod at her ears, which had flattened backwards. “You _do_ remember.” 

“Yes, I remember. Those guards had whips in their hands, Adam. They’d flogged children. I didn’t mind giving them a taste of their own medicine, no. But they deserved it.”

“They deserved it, exactly,” Adam agreed. “I’m glad to see Beacon hasn’t taken all of the animal out of you.”

Blake was now the one grinning, and closed the trap Adam had inadvertently stepped into. “Animals. Isn’t that what the bigots call us, Adam? Just animals with enough human in them to seem sentient? Are you saying they’re _right?”_

His smile was gone now. “Shut up,” he snarled. “Humans deserve a lot of things, Blake. They’ve mistreated us and killed us for centuries. So you’ll excuse me if I decided to kill them right back.”

“No,” Blake told him. “I won’t excuse you. Because that’s an excuse, and deep down, you know it. You _want_ there to be a war. You _want_ to watch both sides stack bodies. Because, Adam, as I said earlier…you’re psychotic.”

“Enough with the psychoanalysis,” he snapped. “I liked you better when you didn’t think as much. When you were a good soldier and obeyed orders.”

“I can well imagine you did.”

He shifted, couldn’t stop a groan of pain, and leaned back hard against the tree. “It wasn’t all bad, was it? The being lovers, I mean. I think I was a pretty good lover. You sure as hell were.”

Blake sighed. “That part was…that part was wonderful, Adam. You and me. Our first time in Mantle, in my bedroom up there, out here in these woods, even in that mine. I loved you.”

“You still love me. And I do love you, to the stars.” He looked wistful at their old words to each other.

Blake didn’t. “No. You may _think_ you love me, Adam. And once, there was no doubt you did. But you’ve proven tonight that you don’t love me. You wanted to destroy everything I love in some twisted revenge fantasy in which I come crawling back to you, begging you to stop.” Her lips peeled back in hate. “No, Adam. You don’t love me. You want to _possess_ me. And in that respect, you’re no different than Jacques Schnee, wanting to enslave Faunus. You’ve just decided to enslave one rather than many.”

He sighed. “It’s that blonde, isn’t it? Yang. I’ll grant you she’s very attractive—nice tits, good ass.” Blake didn’t react; she knew Adam was baiting her. “I guess I never thought you liked girls.”

“Yang and I ended up together because of the Lust Wave.” Blake decided Adam didn’t need to know about the other night. “So I don’t know if I like girls or not, Adam. I just know that I don’t like you.”

They were silent for a long few minutes. He stared past her at the lodge. “Well, I don’t see any fire, and no one’s come back looking for me, so we can assume the White Fang lost,” he said. “I swear, Sienna could screw up a whorehouse. So. What is to become of me, Blake?” Adam asked. “Arrest? Trial? I’ll get the death penalty. Menagerie still does hanging, I believe.”

Blake pointed to the woods. “I was thinking you could run.”

His good eye widened at that. “Excuse me?”

She nodded. “Run, Adam. Because you were a good lover once upon a time, maybe even a good man, I’m going to give you another chance. Maybe you’ll find peace somewhere. Maybe you’ll get killed. But it’s been about second chances a lot nowadays, so I’m giving you a chance to run.” She shrugged. “According to you, I’ve always run. Now it’s your turn.”

Adam struggled to his feet, trying not to cry out in agony. He began to walk towards Wilt, still curled in his severed hand, but Blake brought up Gambol Shroud. “I’m not a fool, Adam. I’ll hold onto Wilt. Take another step towards it and I will kill you. You think I can’t, but go ahead and test me.”

He hesitated, then turned back towards the woods. “I’ll come back for you, Blake. Someday, I will be there.”

“That’s fine,” Blake said. “Because I won’t be alone when you do.”

Summer Rose watched from the steps as Sienna Khan was taken away by the Menagerie constabulary—the same burly Faunus who had been at the beach. Other White Fang were either being loaded into ambulances or taken away in police vans. A few, including Corsac Albain and what was left of Fennec Albain, were being loaded into hearses. “What will happen to her?” Summer asked.

Kali Belladonna stood next to her, her knuckles bandaged. “She’ll be put on trial…unfortunately.” When Summer stared at her, Kali shook her head. “Sienna will use her trial as a platform to push the White Fang’s agenda. Every news source on Remnant will report it. Most Faunus will not listen, but some will. We’ve broken the White Fang today, Summer…but I doubt we’ve destroyed them.”

“Will she be executed?”

Kali slowly shook her head. “No. Then she’d become a martyr.” She looked towards one of the stone pillars at the bottom of the stairs. “Your daughter…”

Ruby was leaning against one of the pillars, staring into space, Crescent Rose cradled in in its scythe form. To the White Fang, it probably looked as if she was glaring at them, but Summer knew Ruby was in shock. 

Yang came around the side of the house with Raven; she’d gotten Ilia to medical attention at the Branwen camp, and the chameleon Faunus might still live. “Mom? Mrs. Belladonna?” Yang called out. “Have you seen Blake?”

“Oh gods, Blake,” Kali breathed. “I thought she was with Yang.” She dashed down the stairs, talked for a moment with Raven, and then both women went running back around the corner. Yang watched them go, obviously torn between following and comforting her sister. She chose the latter, sitting down next to Ruby and putting an arm around her. Ruby didn’t react at first, but slowly, she leaned against her older sister.

Summer knew it was time. Weiss, Tai and Ghira were cleaning up inside, helping move the wounded and the dead out. She had a few spare moments, and knew she had to talk to Ruby as soon as she could. She walked down the stairs and stopped in front of them. “Yang?” she asked. “Can I speak to Ruby alone, please?”

Yang looked up, confused, then nodded. “I’ll go make sure Blake’s okay.” She kissed Ruby on the cheek, got up, and jogged off. 

Summer looked down at Ruby. “Ruby, let’s go for a walk.”

Ruby drew her knees up to her face. “I don’t want to. Please leave me alone, Mom.”

“Ruby. Come on.” Ruby remained seated in defiance for a moment, then used Crescent Rose to get to her feet. She converted it back to gun mode, stowed it at the small of her back, and followed her mother away from the lodge. They walked in silence for a few minutes, into the woods, where they could no longer see or smell the leftovers from the battle. 

“You killed someone,” Summer said suddenly. 

Ruby stopped for a moment, then started walking again. “Yeah.”

“You’ve killed before.” 

“Yeah, but those were Grimm!” Ruby stared at her mother. She couldn’t believe that her mother, gentle Summer Rose, could say something so heartless. “They’re not real! I mean, they are real, but they’re not living things! I mean, yeah, this guy, that Faunus guy, he was going to kill Weiss maybe, but it happened so fast, it just…one second he was…and I didn’t even think…I just…” Ruby stopped again. She wasn’t crying, but she looked at her hands. “What have I done, Mom?”

“You saved Weiss’ life.” Summer put her arms around her daughter. “Ruby, I didn’t say that about killing because I don’t care. I asked to make sure you realized what you did. But you have to balance your action with the result. You didn’t murder Corsac Albain; you acted to save your friend and your teammate. He chose to attack her, he chose to assault the Belladonnas’, he chose to throw in with the White Fang. His choice, Ruby. And he paid the consequences. _Your_ choice was to save Weiss.”

“Mom,” Ruby murmured into her mother’s shoulder, “it feels…wrong.”

Summer drew back. “Good. Because if it ever does feel right, that’s when you better start worrying.”

They held each other for a moment, then Ruby asked, “Was it like this for you? When you had to kill the first time?” She realized she was assuming Summer had ever killed someone. 

There was a bench at the edge of the woods, and Summer sat down on it. Ruby sat next to her and waited. It seemed like a long time before Summer answered. “It was right after we graduated from Beacon. We were on patrol for some Grimm—Team STRQ. It was in Haven. We got attacked by some bandits. We were a lot more powerful than them, but there was a lot of them. I got shot a few times; I was almost out of Aura. This one came at me. I’ll never forget his face, Ruby. He was missing two of his lower teeth; he had a wart on his nose. But he also had a knife, and he jumped on top of me. His breath stank. He was trying to cut my throat. But I was able to grab my boot knife, and I stabbed him in _his_ throat. He died, of course. I was covered in his blood.” Summer brought up her own hands, remembering. The blood had been sticky and warm. There had been so much; she had never seen so much blood. It was all over her face; some was even in her mouth, and she tasted the saltiness. “That was the first time I killed. I’ve done it a few more times since, but I’ve never been proud of it. Tai and Qrow have too; Qrow probably has a lot more. It’s one reason why he drinks. Raven…well…” They’d all seen the bisected remains of Fennec Albain, and the flames in Raven’s eyes. That was an explanation Summer was going to get as well.

“How…how did you feel?” Ruby asked, leaning against her much as she had leaned against Yang, needing a mother’s warmth rather than a sister’s.

“Pretty bad. Tai got over to me after the battle was over, dried me off. I was shaking like a leaf. I felt pretty much the same way you do—shocked, and ashamed. A life is the most precious thing in the universe, Ruby. And I’d taken it. That bandit was trying to kill me, but he was some mother’s son.

“But Tai told me something,” Summer continued. “He told me I’d done what had to do to live, and of course he was really glad I was still alive…but that there was no glory in killing. Not that I really felt like that—Raven might, but I don’t—but I still felt horrible.”

“Then what I did was wrong?” Ruby asked, not really sure what to make of her mother’s story.

“No, Ruby.” Summer took her daughter’s hand in hers. “What you did was _necessary._ Today we were at war. It was a battle. In war, it’s kill or be killed. We didn’t start this battle; we didn’t even want it. We could’ve run, but then what? The White Fang would’ve killed the Belladonnas, then hunted us down too. Again, Corsac made his choice. Unfortunately, you had to make yours. Just never, ever take any pleasure in it.”

“What do I do know?” Ruby asked in a small voice.

Summer got up, pulling Ruby up with her. “You keep going. You keep living.” She hugged her daughter again, more fiercely. “Thank the gods you’re alive, Ruby. If you had...if something happened…I don’t know what we’d do.”

Ruby kissed her mom’s forehead. They were of a height, though both knew that Ruby still had some growing to do. That was all right, Summer reflected; she was used to being the short one. “Okay, Mom. I won’t forget…but I’ll live.”

Summer nodded, and let go of Ruby. “Then you’ve learned the first rule of being a successful Huntress.”

They began to walk back. “What’s that, Mom?” Ruby wanted to know.

“When your mission is over, always go home alive.” Summer smiled. “Luckily, I’ve always kept that rule…even though the last time I got a little delayed.”

They walked back to the lodge. There were still a few police around, and one ambulance. They saw Blake being helped to it, her arms draped around Yang and Kali. Ghira came out of the house, saw his daughter wounded, and took the stairs in two jumps. He was at their side in a moment, picked up Blake like she was a kitten, and gently carried her to the ambulance, despite Blake’s protests. “Mom?” Ruby asked.

Summer patted her shoulder. “Go. She’s part of your team.” She smiled as she was pelted with rose petals. Ruby was at Blake’s side in a second, frantically checking her leg until one of the medics convinced her to move away. 

Summer saw two young men walking down the path. Both were armed; one was a Faunus with a monkey tail, the other looked to be a human, though with blue hair. Both also had the easy walk of confident young Huntsmen. Summer turned to intercept them; they were almost certainly not White Fang, but there was always that chance. “Can I help you, gentlemen?” she asked.

Both of them were a good deal taller than her, and Summer found herself staring at the well-sculpted torso of the Faunus. He could give Tai a run for his money. “Oh, hey,” he said. “We’re looking for the Belladonna Lodge. Is that it?” Then he saw the scorch marks and the ambulance. And the blood. Fennec might not have bled, but a lot of others had. “Holy shit! What happened?”

“White Fang attack,” Summer explained. “And you are, sirs?”

“Sun Wukong,” the Faunus said. “He’s Neptune Vasillas. Who’re you?”

“Summer Rose. I’m Ruby and Yang’s mother.”

Sun and Neptune looked at her, and Sun seemed confused. “Oh, yeah. I can see the resemblance. I’d heard you were—“

“Yes, yes,” Summer said impatiently. She was getting tired of being dead. “What are you doing here?” She put out her hands as they tried to step past her. “Gentlemen, I am a licensed Huntress. I am asking you a question.”

Neptune scratched the back of his head. “Sorry. Sun and I are from Beacon. Team SSSN. We’ve worked with Team RWBY before. Where’s Weiss?”

Suddenly it clicked in Summer’s mind. “Wait. Sun _Wukong?_ Were you in Vacuo recently?”

“Yeah,” Sun said. “Just came from there.”

“Then you’re the one who…” Summer’s voice trailed off. She didn’t really know how to say it in front of a perfect stranger. “You’re the one who was…with…Salem.”

“You know about Salem?” Then Sun remembered. “Oh, right. Yeah. That was me.”

“My gods,” Summer exclaimed. This was the Faunus who had seduced the Queen of the Grimm, and somehow convinced her to seek peace. Looking at his chest, and the rest of his body, Summer could at least understand why. 

“Damn, dude,” Neptune said. “Does _everyone_ know about that?”

Sun shrugged. “No point in denying it.”

Summer took his hand and shook it. “Well, gentlemen of Team SSSN, you’re late to the party. But you can help clean it up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stole a line from "The Untouchables" there, but that's okay.
> 
> Everyone stay safe out there. If you're under lockdown, well...I hope I'm brightening your life a little bit.


	35. Boys of Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a few more days left before they have to return to Beacon, and with the White Fang no longer a threat, Team RWBY and company decide to have some fun on the beach--a fully clothed one, this time. Sun and Neptune decide to join them.
> 
> Weiss, however, learns the price of her speech to the Faunus, and what it's going to cost her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enough death and destruction. Let's have a little bit of sandy fun.

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_Two Days Later_

“Still can’t believe you let Adam go,” Yang said to Blake. Both were sitting on the lodge porch. The door was already replaced. Blake was newly out of the hospital, her wounded leg wrapped up from knee to hip. “You should’ve shot him.”

“I thought about it,” Blake admitted. “Yang…I don’t know. Maybe I’ll regret it. But we’ve seen Salem reform—“

“ _Hopefully_ reform,” Yang interrupted. “According to what Sun was telling us yesterday, she wanted to kill those White Fang that attacked Sun in a very gruesome fashion. I don’t think she’s going to be opening a flower shop and selling scones anytime soon.”

“Fair enough,” Blake said. She massaged her leg. “I’ll admit it to you, Yang. I still have some feelings for him. I shouldn’t, the abusive ass, but I do. Maybe I want to give him one more chance at reforming.” She rolled her eyes. “And there. I sound like every girlfriend with a shitty boyfriend.”

The door opened and Ruby came out. She seemed better this morning. The day before, when she had walked into kitchen for breakfast, she had seen the bloodstain Corsac Albain had left. No amount of cleaning could completely eradicate it. Ruby had promptly run out onto the balcony and thrown up over the railing. “Hey, you two!” 

“’Sup, Rubes?” Yang answered. 

“Well, we’ve still got a couple of days, and Mrs. Belladonna pointed out that, since the White Fang aren’t much of a threat anymore, we should have a mini-vacation—especially since Blake is out of the hospital. So she suggested we hit the beach!” Ruby grinned. “Preceded by a trip to Menagerie’s one and only mall, of course. We need swimsuits.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Yang smirked, “we could go to that nude beach Mom and Dad went to. Skinny-dipping was kind of fun.” She wasn’t _quite_ serious; she just wanted to see if she could get Ruby to blush. It worked. 

“Not a great idea,” Blake said. “Unless you want to see your parents—and mine—naked.” She wondered why both Yang and Ruby were now blushing. She motioned at her leg. “I can’t go swimming, though.”

“You can hang out,” Yang told her. Blake nodded. “And buy you a nice swimsuit.”

“I’ll tell you, the mall here is no great shakes,” Blake warned. “But we should be able to find something.”

“Yay!” Ruby cheered. “About time we had some flipping fun!”

_Queen’s Beach_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_Two Hours (And a Trip to the Mall) Later_

Summer Rose spread a towel out on the sand, and sat down. This was a much larger beach than the Beach of the Fallen Princess, and a little more crowded. But it was just as beautiful: a cove with a long white sand beach, with plenty of shade. 

Tai dropped down next to her, putting a large case down next to the towel. He hadn’t bought a swimsuit; he just wore another pair of cargo pants. “Hello, my love,” she greeted him. She spread her hands. “You like it?”

Tai looked at her, up and down, which sent a tingle up her back. “Hmm. It’s kind of modest. Before you told me to get lost at the clothing store, I thought you were going to buy the string bikini or the Vacuo cut one-piece.” 

“Taiyang Xiao Long! I am the mother of your children. I’m too old for that sort of thing.”

“Uh, Summer…you’re not even twenty-six yet.”

“That’s true,” she admitted. “But I liked this one.” It was a bikini, but it was modest for one, encasing both her breasts without showing more than cleavage, and a bottom that was more like biker shorts. It also had cute ruffles. She was not about to wear something that would barely conceal her assets, or would be pulled into her butt. “Tell you what, though…if you want to put on some suntan lotion, that would be great.”

“Talked me into it.” Summer stretched out, face down, on the towel, and undid the back string of her bikini top. Tai got out the lotion, spread some on his hands, and began massaging her. “Mmm,” Summer hummed with approval. She laid her head down on her hands. “A shame Raven couldn’t stay.”

“I think she feels it’s still just too awkward. Not with Yang—with you and me.”

“I know,” Summer sighed. “I guess I understand. Still…she’s my friend. She saved Yang’s life against Adam Taurus. I’d like to get to know her again.”

“There’s just too much between us still,” Tai explained. “But we’ll get there, Summer.” He paused. “ _I’d_ like to know how she got so damn powerful. You think she’s really one of the Maidens?”

“She said she was. Almost afraid to ask how she became one.” They grew silent at that. From what Ozpin had told them, Maidens were almost always chosen by the last person in a Maiden’s thoughts when she died. It could be a loved one, or whoever killed them. Both Tai and Summer strongly suspected the latter in Raven’s case. Neither wanted to think that Raven would hunt down and kill a Maiden simply to gain her power, but both also knew Raven was entirely capable of doing just that. In the fight where Summer had killed her first sentient being, Raven had not only killed in self-defense, she’d gone around and slit the throats of the bandit wounded. Her and Qrow had been raised in a considerably harder school than Tai or Summer.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the arrival Kali and Ghira. Kali was also dressed modestly, in a one-piece swimsuit that looked about fifty years out of date. Behind her, Ghira carried a beach umbrella, a heroic lunch, and a big towel. He wore loud purple shorts and sunglasses. He tossed the towel on the ground, stabbed the umbrella into the ground, and set down the lunch. He seemed supremely satisfied with himself. “Sorry we’re late. Kali decided to take the long way from the parking lot.”

Summer glanced at Kali. There were grass strands in her hair, and she also looked quite happy. She narrowed her eyes at the Faunus, who smothered giggles. Tai and Ghira looked at each other and fist-bumped.

“What’s taking the girls so long?” Summer wanted to know.

“Probably showing off for the boys,” Kali replied. Then she pointed. “Oh, there they are.”

The parents regarded their children—who weren’t children any longer. Much to Tai and Summer’s embarrassment, but not surprise, Yang had chosen a yellow bikini that strained mightly to contain her breasts, though at least the bottoms were a bit more modest. Blake was in a one piece that covered her from neck to hips, though it made a V-shape that rode high over her hips and showed a little too much backside for Kali’s comfort. Ruby was in a strapless bikini, with her cape tied around her waist.

It was Weiss that was making heads turn. She had pulled her white hair out of its bun and let it flow free over her shoulders, but her bikini could at best be described as vaporware. It consisted of two strips that went over her shoulders, barely covered her nipples, plunged to her crotch, where it was quite obvious Weiss had shaved her pubic hair, otherwise it would’ve been showing. When she turned to say something to Yang, they could see that the strap rode up her rear, leaving her buttocks exposed. “My gods,” Summer breathed.

“If she was my daughter, I wouldn’t let her go out like that,” Ghira rumbled.

“From the impression I got, Weiss isn’t an exhibitionist,” Tai said. “That’s an odd choice for her.”

The four girls came over, Blake still limping, and spread out their own towels. “That’s quite the swimsuit you have there, Weiss,” Tai observed.

Weiss set up her umbrella. “Thank you, Mr. Xiao Long.” She said nothing further, and Tai went back to putting lotion on his wife’s back. Weiss put on her sunglasses and made sure the umbrella was covering her; she was going to fry in this sun, even with lotion on. 

“Mom, is this okay?” Ruby asked. She motioned at the bikini. “It’s not too much, is it?”

“There’s not too much there,” Yang quipped.

“Shut up, Yang!” Ruby shouted.

“Girls,” Summer told them. “No, Ruby, that’s fine. You’re old enough to make those decisions now, in mind if not in body.”

Ruby stuck her tongue out at Yang and sat next to Weiss. “Dad, our weapons…”

Tai patted the case. “Right here.” They weren’t making that mistake again. 

Summer retied her top and sat up as well. “Well. Who’s going in the water? I feel the need.” She turned to Ruby and raised her eyebrows. “Race?”

Ruby jumped to her feet. “You’re on!” They stepped off the towels, crouched, then ran. Ruby left her usual rose petals in her wake, while Summer left sand particles, blown upwards by her passage, floating in hers. They hit the water at full speed, sending spray flying to either side, and ended up about fifty yards offshore. Tai got up. “Well, I think I’ll take a dip too.”

Ghira rose to his feet. “I could use a good swim. Kali, girl?”

“Oh, no, you go on, hon-bun. I seem to have pulled a muscle. Down low.” She winced as she moved, and stared at Ghira suggestively over her sunglasses. He grinned and followed Tai into the surf. “Girls, aren’t you swimming?”

“I’ll keep Blake company for now,” Weiss said. “Yang, why don’t you go drown your sister?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Truth to tell, Yang hated to leave Blake alone and left out, but with Weiss and Kali there, she guessed it would be all right. She ran and dived into the water.

The three sat in silence, watching the others play and swim in the ocean, and then Kali spoke. “Feeling rebellious today, Weiss?”

Weiss sighed. “I might as well tell you—both of you. I got a message from my father this morning. I am officially disowned.”

Blake whirled on her, ears going back. “Disowned? Why?”

“The speech I made, when I admitted the Schnee Dust Company had abused Faunus. I knew dear old dad would find out about it, and he’d be pissed when he did. I expected this, Blake.” She smiled. “And you know something? I don’t care. Aside from my sister, it’s not like I’m that close to my family anyway.”

Kali leaned over and hugged her. “You have a new family now, Weiss. Not just Team RWBY, but us.” When Weiss looked questioningly at her, Kali smiled. “You stood and fought for my family and my home. You gave up your own home to try and build a bridge to the Faunus. You are part of _my_ family now, Weiss Schnee. And though I won’t try to be your mother, I would love to be your friend. You’ll always have a place at the lodge.”

“Seconded,” Blake added.

Weiss was a little misty-eyed. “Well…thank you, both of you.” She sighed. “He didn’t take away my savings, at least, so I’m still good for money. Hopefully.”

“Might have to get a job,” Blake chided her. “Shopkeeper might need some help at the noodle shop.”

“Only if he wants his customers poisoned. I’m a terrible cook—“ Weiss’ eyes went wide. “Blake, look who showed up.”

Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasillas were walking down the beach. Sun had his usual swagger, but Neptune looked alternately embarrassed and terrified. He shyed away from the surf, but his embarassment was more obvious: both he and Sun wore briefs that lived up to the name. Sun’s musculature was causing girls to ignore their boyfriends and salivate openly, but Neptune was not hard on the eyes either, even if he didn’t look like an artists’ model of the ultimate male form.

Kali dropped her sunglasses down to the bridge of her nose. “Oh my. Now there’s some fine looking young men. It’s times like this I wish I was still young and unmarried. I’d jump either one of them. Or both.”

_“Mom!”_ Blake half-screamed. 

Weiss waved, and the two men walked over to them. They threw down their own towels, in the shade of a palm tree. “Ladies,” Sun greeted them, over the tops of his sunglasses, then he blinked at Weiss. “Whoa.”

“Weiss! Holy cow!” Neptune stared, realized he was staring, and then sat down. “Sorry, Weiss. I...uh…didn’t mean to look.”

“Neptune, it’s fine. If I didn’t want boys to look, I wouldn’t have worn it.”

Sun sat down as well. “I never took you for…wearing something like that.”

Weiss smiled. “I’m celebrating my independence.” At his quizzical expression, she said, “My father cut me off today. I’m no longer the heiress to the Schnee fortune.”

“She made a speech the other day about Faunus rights,” Kali explained. “It was very well-received by us, but I imagine Jacques Schnee did not share the same sentiment.”

“What an asshole!” Sun exclaimed. “Er…sorry, Weiss.”

“No, no,” Weiss assured him. “I’m kind of feeling the same way at the moment.” She stood, adjusting the swimsuit. Weiss wasn’t well-endowed, but spillage was still very possible. “Enough of that crap. I’m going for a swim.” She looked over at Neptune. “Why don’t you come in, Neptune?”

Neptune went pale. “Uh…no. Not just no, but _hell_ no.”

Blake burst into laughter. “Still afraid of water?”

Kali’s ears laid back in surprise. “I don’t understand. Your name is—“

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Neptune finished. “I almost drowned in a wave pool when I was a kid, all right? I have PTSD. Literally.” He waved Weiss on. “I’ll just watch. Catch some rays.”

Weiss sighed. “Sun, would you mind helping me? You too, Blake.”

“Wait, what—“ Neptune abruptly realized he was being grabbed—Sun had hold of his ankles, Blake one arm, and Weiss the other. They picked him up and began carrying him towards the ocean. “Guys, no!” he pleaded. “Don’t throw me in! _Please_ don’t throw me in! You can’t do this to me!”

“Don’t throw him in,” Weiss instructed. “Set him down at the water’s edge.” Blake and Sun dutifully complied. Weiss then summoned glyphs and bound Neptune’s feet. “I’ll handle the rest.”

“Weiss, don’t do this,” Neptune begged.

“Neptune, relax. The water won’t come higher than your stomach, if that.” She sat down next to him, close. “I won’t go anywhere.”

“Why are you doing this?” he asked quietly.

“Because if I don’t get my mind off what my son of a bitch father just did to me,” she replied, “I’m either going to cry all day, which would ruin everyone’s beach trip, or knock a fucking tree down with Myrtenaster and whatever horrible thing I can summon. Which would also ruin the trip.” She felt the tide beginning to come in, and the warm water lap at her feet. “So bear with me, okay?”

“S-Sure.” Neptune cringed, but the glyph held his feet fast as the water reached them. He tried to recoil from it. His hands were shaking, and Weiss could see he was on the verge of a scream of sheer terror. 

“Neptune,” she said evenly. “Don’t look at the sea. Can you look at the sky? Just look at the sky.” He shakily nodded and looked upwards. Weiss took his right hand and clasped it. “It’s all right.” The water washed over their feet, bathing their lower legs before going back out. Neptune grabbed Weiss’ hand and squeezed it. She squeezed it back. As the wave washed up even further, she surreptitiously dropped the glyph. Neptune didn’t realize it. 

The tide was gentle, and the water was warm. Gradually, he stopped shaking. The water was up to his groin now. Weiss looked down, then quickly looked away. “Why are you wearing that?” she asked.

“It was Sun’s idea,” he said. To his surprise, his voice wasn’t shaking.

“Kind of small,” she observed. Then she realized what she’d said. “I-I mean, the shorts! The underwear! Not you! I don’t know how big you are! Nor do I want to!”

“Thanks,” he said with heavy sarcasm. In actuality, the briefs—what Sun referred to as a banana hammock—didn’t hide all that much. The waves washed up to his waist. “Huh. This…this isn’t too bad.”

“Do you feel like going into the shallows a little bit?” Weiss asked.

Neptune hesitated. He knew he had to get over this fear. “Uh…maybe just a bit.” He scooted down until the water was up to his stomach. It was warm and oddly comforting. If he could forget he was waist deep in an ocean, he could almost pretend it was a warm bath. Contrary to popular belief at Beacon, Neptune did not wear a lifejacket in the shower. 

“That’s very good, Neptune. You’ll excuse me?” Weiss got up, gauged the tide, took two steps, and jumped into the surf. Neptune swallowed as he watched her backside, hardly covered by the alleged swimsuit, disappear into the water.

Sun was watching them, sitting next to Blake. Kali, a small smile on her lips, made a show of stretching. “Well. I’m getting tired of sitting here watching my husband through Ruby Rose around.” Which was true: since Ruby was the lightest, Ghira was tossing her a good fifteen feet in the air before she splashed into the ocean; she was giggling like a little girl, audible even to them. It was a game he’d played with Blake when she was little. Yang and Tai were in a splashing war which was turning rather violent. Kali jogged to the ocean. “Oh, Ghira!” she called out. “It’s _myyyy_ turn!”

Blake sighed with a smile. “I think she likes you, Sun.”

“She’s barely met me!” Sun exclaimed. He had helped clean up the damage at the Lodge, and then the day before, stopped by to say hi to Team RWBY under better circumstances. “I mean, I’m glad she likes me, but…”

Blake snickered. “Sun, any time a boy not named Adam Taurus pays attention to me, my mother starts planning the wedding. She wants grandchildren something bad.”

Sun scratched the back of his head. “Well…I like you, Blake, but I don’t know about that.”

“I wasn’t asking, Sun. Just informing.” She leaned back, taking some pressure off her leg. “Well. Might as well address the elephant in the room. How does it feel to be the man who ended the war through the power of sex?”

Sun coughed. “That’s…that’s not what happened, Blake! How did you even _know?”_

“Salem forgot how good Faunus ears are, that’s how,” she answered. “She was bragging about you in front of Ozpin.”

He covered his face. “Oh, gods.”

“Hey, I’d be pretty proud.”

Sun spread his hands helplessly. “Blake, I didn’t even know. I mean, nobody knew about Salem! Hardly anyone still does! She didn’t look all gray and scary. She was just this nice looking blond older woman, and she seduced _me!_ I guess she took a vacation, and decided she needed to get laid, and saw me in this—“ he motioned to the banana hammock; Blake studiously ignored it “—and away we went. I thought she was just a lonely widow woman. And she was hot as hell, Blake!” He folded his arms. “There, I said it. I admit it.”

Blake smiled and shook her head. “Sun, don’t worry. Yes, Salem is kind of hot, for an undead-looking Grimm chick. But you proved what we all thought at Beacon.”

“What’s that?”

“That you will stick your dick into anything.”

Sun gaped at her, then laughed. “You know what? So what. She was good, Blake. Really good.” He got a sly look on his face. “You know we banged on the _ceiling?_ In zero gravity? I probably should become a hermit or something, because I don’t know what’s going to top that.”

Blake laughed as well. Sun said it so matter-of-factly that it wasn’t embarrassing so much as hilarious. “Spare me the details, Sun.” She leaned over, propping her head on her elbow. Sun couldn’t help but look. Blake might not have the otherworldly, terrible beauty of Salem, but she had it all where it needed to be, and a bag of chips. “So, do you love her?”

Sun lay down on the towel. “No,” he said after a bit. “She’s hot, no question. And she has a weirdly…gentle side. She told me what happened to her. It’s a long story, but the reason she’s so pissed off was that she finally found her true love…and the poor bastard died after only three years with her. She tried to get the Brothers to bring her lover back to life, but they wouldn’t. Something about the balance of life. And well…that’s when Salem went bonkers and became immortal and so on.

“She’s a great lover, Blake. I won’t lie. But it could never work. I guess we’re just friends. I mean, if she offered, I probably wouldn’t turn her down.” He covered his face. “Why the hell am I telling you this?”

“I don’t know. But I’m glad you did.” Blake winced as a twinge of pain shot up her leg. “It makes me understand her a bit more.”

Neptune found he was actually liking this some. He didn’t like it when the tide pulled at him, but it wasn’t so bad. He wasn’t about to wade in or go swimming—mainly because he didn’t know how—but it was a start. He wished that they’d at least given him some warning. His feet left the sandy bottom for a moment, and he was floating for a brief period. He was careful to scoot back, but it still was kind of fun, actually.

Unknown to Neptune, Weiss was stalking him. She’d swam out and splashed around with Ruby a little; Ghira was now throwing his wife into the air, and Weiss wasn’t about to get between Tai and Yang, who were starting to use their Semblances in their splash war. With a wink at Ruby, she dived down, looked through the remarkably clear water, and saw Neptune half-submerged. She surfaced, got some air, then dived again and shot forward, using the surf to propel her. Weiss was a superb swimmer, though she’d never swam in an ocean before, but she used her legs to propel her, keeping her arms at her side for extra speed, and no splash. Then, an evil grin on her face, she reached out and grabbed Neptune’s feet.

Neptune shot backwards out of the water with a scream—or tried to, except that the sand had grabbed him and held him. He achieved only about a foot of clearance. He saw something between his feet, with white coloring, and was sure he was about to be devoured by some foul sea-dwelling Grimm. Instead, Weiss surfaced like a missile, throwing out her hands in a _ta-da!_ pose. Neptune looked up, his heart hammering with fear, and then it started hammering with something else.

In surfacing, the straps, which had been fighting the good fight to keep Weiss’ breasts—or at least her nipples—from popping out, finally gave up the battle. They fell down her waist, trailing in the water, and leaving her exposed from the top of her shaved mound to her hair. Neptune noted in passing that, while Weiss might not be able to compete with most of the women on the beach, what she had was choice: perky breasts topped by jutting pink nipples. His mouth fell open in shock.

Weiss stared down at him, then realized it felt a little drafty. With a squeak, she saw she was topless, and if the tide caught any more of the swimsuit, she’d be bottomless as well. Weiss dropped back down into the water, quickly put the swimsuit back on, and emerged more slowly from the water. She glanced frantically around, but it looked like no one had noticed: Blake and Sun were in the best position, but they were talking to each other. “Neptune, please don’t tell anyone—“

“Bluh,” Neptune replied. They stared at each other for a moment, then he suddenly turned and scrambled out of the water.

Sun sat up. “Hey, dude, where’s the fire?”

“Potty emergency!” he shouted back, and headed for the bathrooms down the beach aways. His Semblance wasn’t speed, but he was moving at a clip that Ruby would be proud of. 

Weiss sighed, and walked out of the surf. She went over to Blake and Sun, grabbed a towel, and dried herself off. “It’s my fault,” she said.

“What, that he had to pee?”

“Yes,” Weiss said, though she wasn’t about to tell them about her top coming off. “I scared him. Not just putting him in the surf, but I grabbed his feet underwater. That was foolish of me. Neptune can’t help his phobia.”

“He can,” Blake said. “He seemed to be enjoying himself until you did that. I think the engagement therapy was working, if that was your intention.” They’d read about it in class with Professor Peach.

“For a smart person, I can be dumb sometimes,” Weiss commented. Blake’s eyebrows rose at that confession. “I’ll go apologize.” She put the towel down and walked over to the bathroom. It was unisex, so she walked in. It was empty, though she saw Neptune’s feet and his so-called swimsuit around his ankles. “Neptune?” _Oh gods,_ she thought, _I must have literally scared the shit out of him._

“Weiss? What are you doing in here?” His voice sounded an octave or two higher than normal.

“It’s a unisex bathroom.” She leaned against the sink. “Look, I’m sorry. About the whole thing, but especially grabbing your feet. I really wasn’t thinking, and that was mean. I thought it would be funny, but—“

“It’s okay, Weiss! You’re forgiven! Yep, totally fine!”

“All right. I won’t do it again.” Weiss turned to leave, but then she realized something. _It couldn’t be,_ she thought. _No, wait a minute, yes it could._

“Neptune,” she said hesitantly, knowing that the logical thing to do was to leave, “are you…thinking about me in there?”

“Um, nope! Ha ha! Nope! Just that beefy burrito I had for breakfast! Yep! Oh, man, Weiss, you’d better leave, this is going to be biowarfare here in a minute—“

Weiss Schnee was devoted to many things: her team, her family (well, Winter anyway, and the good name of the Schnees), her realm, Beacon Academy. But she was devoted to the truth most of all. And she knew Neptune was lying through his well-kept teeth. She took a few steps forward, jumped, and chinned herself on top to the stall door. 

Neptune wasn’t sitting on the toilet. He was standing. In his left hand was his erect penis, throbbing and shiny. Weiss had suspected it, and now had confirmation, along with the fact that blue was not Neptune’s natural hair color. She stared for a moment before Neptune shrieked and covered himself, and she dropped down. Quickly, she glanced out the front door, but there was no one around.

“Weiss!” Neptune shouted. 

“You _are_ thinking about me,” she said.

Neptune was silent for a moment. “I guess I can’t deny it.”

“Given the show I gave you in the water, I suppose it’s understandable.” She looked down at her toes. “I…didn’t think you...”

Neptune pulled up the briefs, somehow crammed himself back into them without hurting himself, and stepped out of the stall. “Weiss, I’m sorry. It’s just…well, you know I’m really attracted to you. But I didn’t want that to happen, and I didn’t want you to see me like that.”

Weiss laughed softly. “It’s my fault, Neptune. I looked.” She shook her head, smiling. “Actually, I’m kind of flattered. No one’s probably thought of me like that.”

Now it was Neptune’s turn to laugh. “Weiss, I guarantee ever straight man on this beach has thought of you like that, wearing that swimsuit. But, well…it’s not just your body. I mean, that’s perfect—“

Weiss raised an eyebrow. “I should think Yang was perfect.”

“She is, but you’re…more perfect? I don’t know! But you’re a great person, too, smart, cool, nice—well, most of the time—smart--” Neptune turned and banged his head against the door of the stall. “Oh, I knew I’d screw this up.”

Weiss tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him, on the lips. It was more than a peck and less than one of lovers, but one of genuine affection all the same. “Neptune, you’re fine. I like you too. And let’s leave it at that for awhile.” She nodded to the door. “We should leave, or the others are going to think we were up to something more than apologizing.” She began to walk out, and turned. “And if we were going to do something like that, we’re not going to do it in a bathroom stall. I am still a Schnee, in name if not in status.” Weiss walked out, knowing that Neptune, either voluntarily or involuntarily, was staring at her rear. 

She kind of liked it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Iceberg? You bet. About time Weiss had someone.


	36. I Want You To Want Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a fun day at the beach, everyone hits the sack at the Belladonna Lodge. Weiss, however, is having trouble sleeping, unable to get her mind off of Neptune. She needs to talk to someone, and do something about it, but the only person there is Ruby.
> 
> At first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! I wasn't sure how this chapter was going to work out, but it did. (I hope.) This one is a fluffy, smexy chapter. 
> 
> We're headed into the home stretch on this story, so I'm looking at maybe another two weeks before it's finished. Just in time to get out of lockdown...

_The Belladonna Lodge_

_Island of Menagerie, World of Remnant_

_That Night_

Weiss Schnee couldn’t relax. 

It had been a long day at the beach, but a wonderful one. For the first time in a very long time, Team RWBY had just had fun. And for the first time in 13 years, Ruby and Yang had gotten to have fun with their parents, without the threat of White Fang or Grimm Queens or weird compulsions. After having dinner at a beachside restaurant, with entirely too many carbs (and calories) for Weiss’ comfort, they’d come home to a beautiful sunset at the Belladonna Lodge. A little bit of late night coffee, and it was time for bed. 

Ruby was still awake too. They were in one of the guest rooms of the Lodge, with Ruby generously taking the floor. She was curled up in a sleeping bag, reading a book of Remnant fairytales, while Weiss doggedly was still working her way through _The Guns of Atlas_. Finally, she admitted to herself that the book was not doing much good: she had reread the same page four times. She also admitted to herself something else, something Weiss Schnee rarely admitted: she needed to talk to someone.

“Ruby?” she asked.

Ruby looked up from the book. “Yeah?”

“Can I…talk to you for a minute?”

Ruby yawned and set down the book. “Sure. What’s up?”

Weiss turned red. Of course, that matched her back and upper arms, which had gotten a little sunburned despite the best efforts of the suntan lotion: Schnees simply weren’t meant for warm climes. “Well…” She found herself unable to talk about it. _Maybe I should talk to Blake or Yang about this._

Ruby got up and sat on the bed. “C’mon, Weiss.”

“I don’t know…” Weiss rolled her eyes, at herself. Ruby was her friend. Maybe even her best friend. “All right. It’s about sex.”

Ruby shrugged. “Okay.”

“You don’t tell _anyone_ about this. Not even your sister.” Ruby nodded. “Today, I sort of…fell out of my swimsuit.”

“Just once? Yang said that thing was built to spill.”

Weiss had to admit that was true. “Yes, well…in was in front of Neptune. When I grabbed his feet. He went running to the bathroom, but it wasn’t a potty emergency.”

“Had to go rub one out, huh?” Weiss went an even brighter shade of red, and stared popeyed at Ruby, who snorted. “Oh my gods, Weiss. Why does everyone _still_ think I don’t know anything about sex?”

“You look so innocent,” Weiss replied.

“That’s cool and all,” Ruby said, though it was somewhat of a lie; she was actually tired of being treated like she was a kid. “But Weiss, like I told you last week! I know about sex, I’ve gotten the birds and the bees talk, I’ve done some, um, self-discovery, and, well, there you go.” Now she was getting embarrassed. “So what’s the—ohhh.” Ruby gave her a slow nod. “You followed him into the bathroom. I saw you go after him.”

“Just to apologize, Ruby. For scaring him. Nothing happened.” Weiss looked away. “Except for one thing. You’re right—he _did_ go in there to ‘rub one out,’ as you somewhat crudely put it. And I saw him. _All_ of him.”

Ruby leaned closer. “Yeah? Tell me more.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow. “Did you and Yang swap bodies when I wasn’t looking?”

Ruby put her head on her hands. “I was just curious,” she grumped. “I mean…I’ve never seen one. A penis, that is. Except in books. And on my Scroll. A few times. So…um…I’m just curious.”

Weiss paused. Come to think of it, she’d never seen one either, before today. Oh, there had been books as well, and on her Scroll too. Weiss wasn’t as innocent as she pretended, either. “There isn’t much to say,” she finally admitted. “He was…hard. But I interrupted him, so he didn’t finish. He apologized, I apologized, everything was fine after that.”

Ruby was a bit disappointed, but then she supposed that Weiss wasn’t the type to kiss and tell. And she definitely wasn’t the type to lose her virginity in a beach bathroom stall. That was just gross. “So what’s the problem? He saw your boobs, you saw his wanger, so you’re even, right?”

“I can’t stop thinking about it, Ruby.” Weiss grabbed her pillow buried her face in it. “What the hell is wrong with me? Is it another Lust Wave?”

“I’m not feeling anything.” Ruby listened. “And I don’t hear Yang, so probably not.” Ruby shrugged. “You’re probably just horny.” Weiss groaned into her pillow. “What? Girls can’t get horny?”

“You and Yang _did_ switch bodies.”

Ruby got up. “Weiss, look…I can leave for a bit. If you need to take care of things. I get it, okay? It’s okay.”

Weiss looked up from the pillow. “And have you know what I’m doing in here? I can’t do that!”

“I’m not going to tell on you.”

“That’s not the point!”

Ruby jammed her fists on her hips. “Weiss, c’mon. We’ve all done it! At Beacon! You think Blake just likes really long showers? You think Yang always ‘forgets something’ when she heads back to the dorm during lunch and shows up late to Professor Port’s class? I mean, she’s done it when I was in the same room! I was under my bed canopy so she didn’t know I was there, but still!” Ruby made a nauseated face. “Do you know what it’s like to hear your own sister getting herself off? Eww!”

Weiss didn’t—Winter had a separate room—and was fervently glad of that fact. “Ruby, I just can’t—“ She suddenly held up a hand. Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but Weiss emphasized her gesture. Slowly, she slipped out of the bed and grabbed Myrtenaster.

Now Ruby could hear it as well. Something, or someone, was rustling in the forest, and it was getting closer. Both of them had the same thought: the White Fang might be broken, but they were hardly all gone. Ruby silently crept over to her bedroll and grabbed Crescent Rose. It was still in gun form, and she motioned Weiss forward, dropping to one knee and bracing the weapon against her shoulder. 

Weiss crouched and stole forward, her left hand holding Myrtenaster on guard. She got to the side of the large window, which they’d left open to get a cooling breeze in, and looked at Ruby. The other girl cocked Crescent Rose, chambering a round. The rustling was getting closer, and they could tell it was someone climbing the tree outside the window. Weiss braced herself, and when she saw a hand drop down on the windowsill, she slowly stuck the sword downward. “Hold,” she snapped, “or I fire.” For emphasis, she let Myrtenaster’s cylinder spin and click. It was actually unloaded, but the sound should be enough to let even the most fanatic White Fang soldier know they were discovered.

“Whoa _, shit!”_ a voice exclaimed, and there was more rustling, as if someone had lost their footing. “Weiss! Don’t shoot!”

Weiss stuck her head out the window. “Neptune?”

He was hanging half in and half out of the tree, holding on with one hand and one foot while the other dangled over open air, though it was only about ten feet to the ground. “Um, a little help?”

“Ruby, get over here.” Between the two girls, they were able to help him back onto good footing, and then through the window. 

“What are you doing here?” Weiss demanded. Neptune and Sun were staying at a bed and breakfast about six blocks away. Or were supposed to be. “Is Sun with you?”

“No, Sun’s still asleep. I think.” Neptune brushed himself off. He was wearing his normal outfit, sans the red jacket and the goggles. “I wanted to see you, Weiss.”

“What for?” Weiss asked, clueless. Ruby snickered, shouldered Crescent Rose, gathered up her bedroll, and walked out the door. “I’ll be downstairs on the couch.” She winked at Weiss and closed the door behind her. Weiss covered her eyes. “Oh gods.”

“Uh…” Neptune wasn’t sure what to say. 

Weiss tossed Myrtenaster on the bed and sat down next to it. Neptune pulled up a chair. “What are you doing here?” she repeated. “Why did you want to see me?”

“Well…” He looked at his boots. “Today. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

“I’ll bet,” Weiss groused, though she knew she was a hypocrite for saying it.

“No, not like that.” Neptune smiled helplessly. “Okay, okay…maybe that too. A little. I’ll fess up to that. But Weiss…I feel so damn bad about it. I know you said you were flattered and all, but I shouldn’t think of you like that. I mean…you’re my friend, right?”

Weiss nodded. “Of course.” Neptune wasn’t as close as Team RWBY, naturally, but he was still a friend. 

“Friends shouldn’t think of friends like that,” Neptune continued. “I just feel really ashamed. About it all.” He sighed. “Just wanted to say that, that’s all. I feel like a real…asshole, actually.”

Weiss smiled. “So…you weren’t trying to crawl in here and seduce me?”

Neptune laughed. “No…nothing like that. I mean, that’s sort of Sun’s thing. I _wish_ I was that good. Sun seduced the Queen of the Grimm, for the gods’ sake.” He got up. “Anyway, I should go. I just wanted to get that off my chest, Weiss. I don’t think I’ll sleep before I do.” He hesitated, then stuck out a hand. “Are we, uh, cool?”

She shook his hand. “Yes, Neptune. We’re cool.”

They stared at each other, for a few moments, then Neptune broke the stare and walked to the door. “Wait,” he said, pausing. “Does Ruby think I’m…you know…with you?”

“Yes,” Weiss said. “Don’t let the innocent look fool you. I thought Yang was the only pervert in that family, but I’m beginning to fear the quiet ones.”

“Well, I’ll tell her it’s not like that.” His hand went to the doorknob.

“Neptune.” Weiss’ voice stopped him. “Lock the door.”

He slowly looked back at her. “Um…Weiss?”

Weiss stood, then closed the window behind her. “Neptune,” she told him, “I want you to stay. Here. With me.”

“But…um…”

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about today either,” Weiss said, “and I’m tired of being everyone’s little wind-up doll.” She fixed him with an icy gaze. “Neptune, tonight…I want you to make love to me.”

Neptune flattened himself against the wall, as if Weiss had turned into a hydra. “You _what?”_

“Not so loud.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you.” Weiss leaned against the window. 

Neptune swallowed, torn between having every fantasy about to come true and fear that this was all some elaborate joke at his expense. He half expected Sun to burst out of the closet with his Scroll on Record. “Weiss…I…I like you too,” he stammered. “But we’ve…we only went on one date that one time! And I don’t really…I mean, I like you, yeah, and you’re freaking beautiful, and I’m just…me.”

Weiss walked forward until she was staring up at him. “Neptune, are you saying no?”

“No, but…”

“Are you…shy?” Then it hit her. “You’re a virgin.”

Neptune deflated. “Yeah. I am.”

“Good looking guy like you?” Weiss was genuinely surprised.

Neptune went over to the bed and dropped down. “I usually strike out with girls, Weiss. I flirt with them because I’m scared it’ll keep happening, but in reality…it’s safe to do that. The jokes, I mean. Girls don’t take me seriously. I hang out with Sun because he’s my best friend, but usually…I’m his wingman. Which is fine…most of the time.”

Weiss nodded. “He tends to get all the girls, and you’re left as the sidekick."

“Basically. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy—“

“But you’re envious of him,” Weiss finished.

“Yeah. I mean, who wouldn’t be?” Neptune looked away. “You don’t really want me, Weiss…do you?”

Weiss almost wanted to laugh. Neptune was a good looking man; the girls around Beacon saw him as a catch. He was something of a try-hard, but his attempts were more amusing than annoying. Girls liked him, but apparently Neptune, deep down, couldn’t bring himself to believe that they did. _Then I have to show him that they do,_ she thought.

_Because he’s available? Because right now any penis would do?_ another voice said in her mind; it sounded distressingly like her mother.

Weiss thought about that for a second. Ruby was right: she _was_ horny. But Neptune was more than just looks. He was also a friend, a nice guy. No, Weiss told herself, tonight she was going to lose her virginity, but not in some angry defiance of the Schnee family—but because she wanted to, on her own terms, with a man she chose.

Neptune took her silence as confirmation. He got up. “Yeah, thought so. I’ll leave—“

Weiss reached out and pushed him back on the bed. “Neptune. Look at me.” He did. “I’m standing here clothed, but soon I will be naked. And I want you to watch. All right?”

“But—“

Weiss decided it was time for deeds, not words. She reached up, took hold of her nightdress, and pulled it over her shoulders. Sometimes she wore a soft camisole to bed, but in the pleasant warmth of the Menagerie night, she hadn’t worn it: her breasts were on full display, and that quieted Neptune’s protests. She stood for a moment, then slipped her panties off and stepped out of them. Now she was completely naked, in front of a man, for the first time in her life. She put her hands behind her back.

“Do you like what you see?” she whispered. She wanted it to come out somewhat imperious—Weiss had a feeling she was going to have to lead tonight—but instead, it came out almost as a plea. Neptune nodded, unable to find the words. She was perfect: the gentle frozen waterfall of her hair over her shoulders and back, the beautiful face, her perfect legs, the shaved pubic mound. Her breasts might be small, but Neptune thought that, on her, they seemed just fine; even the scar on her eye was magnificent rather than marring. “Thank you,” she said, earnestly. “Now. Your turn.”

“You want me to…strip?”

“It tends to be customary when two people make love.”

“Oookay…” Neptune got to his feet. He slipped off his shoes, unbuttoned his shirt—trying to go slow, afraid to seem too eager—then unbuckled his pants. He folded them neatly onto the chair, then, knowing he was already tenting the front of his shorts, pulled them off too. He stood there, arms at his side. “Uh…well…you like?”

Weiss examined him, from his tousled blue hair to his big feet, and everything in between. As she’d noticed on the beach, Neptune wasn’t built like Sun: he was thinner, but still with a good amount of muscle on board. There was a bit of hair on his chest. Her eyes inevitably were drawn down to his groin, where an erection rose upwards from a tangle of black hair. It was Weiss’ turn to swallow nervously: it was throbbing, beating in time with his heart. Weiss was familiar with male physiology and sexual response from books, but books didn’t mention that. Her mouth felt dry. “I…yes, Neptune.”

They stood there for a moment. “So…what do we do?” Neptune asked. He knew how to have sex, of course, but the movies he’d watched always had couples who obviously knew what they were doing. There should be some kissing, he remembered, which sounded like fun, then the girl usually gave oral to the guy—his penis jumped at that thought, which caused Weiss to blink in surprise—then the guy reciprocated, then he entered her and got down to business. 

Weiss had seen the same movies, though she’d die before she admitted it. “I guess we kiss, and then…” She looked down at him. Weiss wasn’t sure she wanted to put that in her mouth. Part of her did, and part of her felt nauseous about it. What if she threw up on him? That would ruin the night. And while Neptune going down on her sounded like it would be very interesting, what if she smelled bad? She’d showered, of course, but she’d heard all the nasty little stories. _If it smells like trout, throw it out._ She didn’t think she did at all, but maybe guys smelled differently? This wasn’t in the books. And maybe Neptune would be really bad at it. Not that she had anything to compare it to.

Suddenly Neptune thought of something. “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Weiss asked.

“Weiss…dammit. I don’t have any, well, I don’t have a rubb—a condom, or anything. Do you?”

She almost demanded to know why he’d think she’d have something like that, but realized she’d be making the same mistake by assuming he did. “No, I’m afraid I don’t.” She sighed. “And I’m afraid I don’t have any…girl contraceptive, either.”

“Yeah. I guess we could do oral, but I’ll warn you, I’m probably no good at it.”

“I’m probably not either.” Weiss sat down on the bed, and he sat down next to her. She noticed he was becoming soft, which disappointed her. “This sounded better in my mind.”

“Me too.”

Weiss wasn’t sure if she was angry or not. She certainly wasn’t angry at Neptune; he genuinely _had_ come here to apologize. She was a little angry at herself, for not having the self-control to quit thinking about the scene in the bathroom—

“Wait, that’s it,” she said. She hesitated a second, then put a hand on his leg. “I have an idea. It won’t be the same, but…I think it might work.”

“Okay,” Neptune acquiesced. 

Weiss got completely on the bed, gently moved Myrtenaster to the floor, and propped herself up on her pillows. Then she closed her eyes, took a breath, opened them, and opened her legs with them. “Returning the favor,” she said.

Neptune’s eyes got so huge she was afraid they were going to leap out of their sockets. “You’re…going to…”

Weiss was turning red again, but she nodded. “Yes. I believe the vernacular is to ‘rub one out.’” She inclined her head at him. “You can join me, if you like.”

Neptune just kept gaping at her, so Weiss once more decided that she needed to show not tell. She lifted a finger, and realized they were trembling. _It’s all right, Weiss,_ she told herself. _You were going to do this anyway. Just pretend he’s not there…staring at you…seeing…all of you._ She pressed the finger down on her clitoris, and felt the expected thrill through her body. Then, steeling herself, she began moving her finger in a gentle circle. Her knee was sort of in the way from his perspective, so Neptune, fascinated, climbed onto the bed as well and sat cross-legged. 

Weiss found herself looking at him more than herself. Her fingers didn’t need any assistance, but as much as she knew she should look Neptune in the face—since it was kind of insulting not to—she found herself staring at his crotch again. And as she watched, his penis stirred and began to rise. Weiss watched, fascinated, as it hardened. She felt the wetness on her fingers, and glanced up at him. He was staring directly at her crotch as well. 

Weiss felt herself getting increasingly hot, and knew her skin was flushing from her breasts to her face; her nipples felt painfully stiff. Neptune was not looking at her breasts, but could not take his eyes away from the now-glistening folds. Weiss unconsciously began going faster, rubbing harder, pressing her hips into her fingers. A whine escaped her lips. She was being assaulted from two sides: one, Neptune’s fascination with her masturbating, and two, her inability to stop looking at his erection, which seemed huge now. “Are…you…” she croaked.

Neptune gave a minute shake of the head. Weiss continued to work herself, and then, unable to stand it any longer, plunged her fingers in. She began to make little noises in the back of her throat, tried to keep her eyes from rolling back from the sheer desire flooding her system, because she wanted to see him see her. Now both hands were pleasuring herself, one pressing fingers inside, the other rubbing against the nub. “N-Nep…” She couldn’t even get the words out. She was going to come, and come hard. Weiss felt the pressure building, out of control, and gave herself mental permission to let go. 

She almost screamed, and only held herself back because she knew everyone would hear. Her feet lifted off the bed, toes curled, and Weiss threw her head back as the pressure finally broke. She let out a long, gasping moan, hoping no one could hear but unable to stop. Her fingers stopped as the contractions racked her body.

“Wow.” Neptune couldn’t help but say it. He’d watched videos before, but he’d never seen anything like this. He realized those were just actors, acting out a part; this was a flesh-and-blood girl having an orgasm right in front of him, and he’d helped contribute to it, maybe even was the cause of it.

Weiss sat up, getting her breath back. “So why aren’t you…” She pointed weakly at his erection.

Neptune knew he wasn’t too far off himself, but was afraid to touch it, knowing it wouldn’t take much before he made a mess of her sheets. And truth to tell, he’d just been too entranced watching Weiss. “Uh, well. I was just…I’ve never really seen that before.”

“Oh. Well, that’s how we girls do that.” Weiss drew herself up to her knees, albeit shaky ones. “I guess I have to do everything around here.” She said it with a grin, to let him know she was just teasing. And besides, now _she_ was curious. “So let’s see how guys do it.”

“I guess I can—“ He sucked in his breath when Weiss reached out and grasped his penis. She was careful not to grab it, afraid of breaking something, but was fascinated. It was soft yet hard, thick yet thin. She looked him over, interested how it moved in her hands. She moved a little closer, and then gave it a hesitant tug. 

“Weiss!” Neptune hissed out between clenched teeth, and that was all it took. White semen spurted from the tip and hit Weiss in the chin. She let go and fell back, then watched as more shot out. Neptune took hold of himself and finished; Weiss was stunned, and wondered if he was ever going to stop. Eventually, it slowed to a dribble, and Neptune leaned forward, blowing out a breath.

“Wow,” she said. 

He looked up, a half-smile on his face. “And, well, that’s how we guys do it.”

“Fascinating,” Weiss replied. “But you do make a mess.” She wiped his semen from her chin, and looked at it on her hand, then felt its consistency with scientific interest.

“Sorry.”

“No problem. I should’ve anticipated that.” Weiss got up, went into the bathroom, and got some towels. She’d have some explaining to do to the Belladonnas, but she had a feeling they would understand. Kali would, anyway. She dried them both off, then leaned back in the bed, satisfied. She hadn’t lost her virginity per se, but Weiss had no regrets. Neptune lay down beside her. “So now what?” he asked.

“Why don’t you stay awhile?” she said. 

“Okay. Talked me into it.” He grinned at her, and it was a genuine grin. Weiss giggled and touched the patch of hair on his chest. She kind of liked this. Oddly, she didn’t feel embarrassed at all to be naked in front of him, but then again, it was a bit late for that. He hesitated, then gently put a hand on her. When he reached up and cupped her breasts, then ran his fingers over them, Weiss realized that she _really_ liked this.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

“And I thought you didn’t know how to talk to girls,” she whispered back. 

“Oh, huh.” He looked surprised. “There’s something we were going to do.”

“What’s that?”

Neptune, taking a page from Sun’s book, summoned his courage—which was a lot easier than he thought it would be—took Weiss in his arms, and kissed her. Weiss drew back. “Well, now. We _did_ forget to do that.”

“Did I do it right?” Neptune asked.

“I don’t know. You’ll have to keep trying.”

They kissed again. And a few more times after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Weiss in scenes like this is tough. Would she be dominant in this situation, or surprisingly compliant? Does Weiss approach sex from an educational, scientific point of view, is she cold and imperious, or is she a ravenous tiger? I went with a combination of those. 
> 
> Okay...about time to head back to Beacon. Cinder's been quiet too long, and those Fall Maiden powers aren't going to take themselves.


	37. Running With the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James Ironwood isn't sure how to take news that Remnant might be at something very much like peace. He especially isn't sure how to take the fact that Salem has come to visit him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late. I had a pretty rough day yesterday and got pretty down, and didn't want to really write anything funny. Feeling better today, though, so here you go.
> 
> I probably have about another two weeks left on this story, then it'll be concluded. Not to worry, though--that means I'll get back to "Love Hurts."

_Headquarters, Atlesian Military Command_

_Kingdom of Atlas, World of Remnant_

_The Same Night_

General James Ironwood finished his last report, yawned, and got up to stretch his legs. He stared out over Atlas, and the fleet assembled overhead. _All this military might, and it might not even be necessary._ He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Qrow Branwen’s report had been a bombshell, to say the least. The enemy he’d practically built his military career out of fighting now offered peace. On one hand, that was a good thing, a very good thing: Grimm would still be a problem, but there might not be anyone directly controlling them anymore. Ironwood had seen enough action to know there was no glory in war: a good third of his body was cybernetic parts, and if he needed to know the cost of conflict, he could just look in the mirror. On the other hand, could they trust Salem? She _was_ the Evil Undead Queen of the Grimm, after all, capable of anything and everything—including a false peace, to lure them into a sense of security that didn’t exist. If Ozpin was right and Salem was, at heart, a nihilist, whose end goal was to destroy the world, then the ends would justify the means for her.

He took a deep breath. Ozpin probably had the right idea: trust but verify. They would trust Salem for now, hope she was being honest for once, but stay at readiness. The Maiden replacements would still be trained for the day—sadly, not far off—that Amber and Fria would pass away. The return of Summer Rose would help as well: having a trained silver-eyed warrior on hand was never a bad thing.

Ironwood looked at his watch: it was past midnight. He should probably go to bed. Lack of sleep did no one any good. He gathered up the paper and organized it, then was preparing to head out when there was a knock on his door.

_That’s probably Winter,_ he thought. Winter Schnee had a tendency to never go to bed before her boss. “Come in,” he called out. He unholstered his pistol, Due Process, and set it on his desk; his nightly ritual included cleaning the weapon.

It wasn’t Winter. It was Salem.

Ironwood stared at her in amazement for a moment. He’d never seen a picture of her, but Ozpin had described her. Other than she was wearing her hair in a ponytail rather than in halo-like braids, she was exactly the way Ozpin described her: tall, white skin, grayish hair, and those blood red eyes. She was dressed entirely in a red-trimmed black cloak. “Good evening,” she said.

Ironwood didn’t hesitate. He snatched up Due Process, leveled the pistol, and fired. The first bullet hit Salem high in the chest, knocking her backwards; the second hit her in the abdomen, doubling her over; the third snapped her head back. She fell, and black blood sprayed across the floor and the door behind her.

He jumped over his desk, landing lightly on the stairs. She stirred weakly and said, “Okay…not going to lose my temper…” He shot her again. “ _Ow!”_ Salem shouted. She sat up, blood still coating her torso; the bullet that had hit her in the head had taken away part of her skull, but even as Ironwood watched, it was already starting to reform itself. He pointed Due Process at her, and she put a hand up. “Will you _stop?”_ she screamed. “I’m here to talk!”

“Like hell you are!” Ironwood shouted back.

“If I was here to kill you, would I have _knocked?”_ she exclaimed.

Ironwood stopped. She had a point. He brought the pistol up, pointing it at the ceiling, ready to shoot again if he had to. Not that it seemed to do much good, since the wounds were already healing. Salem coughed, hawked, and spit out a deformed bullet. “Ugh. Hate getting shot.” Finally, she got to her feet, and rubbed her head. “I guess Ozpin didn’t tell you.”

“He told me enough,” Ironwood snapped, and stepped back out of arm’s length.

“That I can’t be killed?”

Ironwood lowered Due Process. “No, that he didn’t mention.”

“Figures.” She motioned to his seat. “Why don’t you sit down, and we’ll talk. I have a few…propositions for you.”

“I’m not giving you the Relic of Creation.” Ironwood walked back behind his desk and sat, but not before setting Due Process in front of him. 

Salem rolled her eyes. “Of course you’re not. I wasn’t going to ask for it, moron. If I wanted to get the Relic, I’d hardly ask permission. You’re supposed to be a smart guy, Ironwood.”

Ironwood spread his hands. “I’m sorry. It’s not every day that I talk to undead evil witches.”

“Fair enough.” Salem began to pace; Ironwood noticed that she was barefooted. “As you undoubtedly know by now, Ozpin and I have an armistice. I don’t mess with you, you don’t mess with me.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Good. Now, there are three things I want from you, General Ironwood. I suppose the Atlesian Council would have to vote on them, but we both know you’re the real power around here.” Technically, Ironwood thought, that was not true. The Council had the power to stop anything Ironwood did, so long as it did not directly affect a military decision. However, they tended to go along with whatever he asked, so Salem wasn’t entirely wrong. 

“Let’s hear it.”

“Very well.” Salem ticked off her points on her fingers. “One. I would like a full pardon for Arthur Watts.” She held up a hand to forestall any protests. “Please wait until I’m finished. So yes, a full pardon for Watts. Two, I would like a business license for Mantle. And three, there is something in the Atlas archives that belongs to me. Last I heard, it was still there.”

Ironwood thought about it for a moment. “Watts did some pretty nasty things before he left.”

“Yes, he did. It’s why I recruited him.”

“What does Atlas get in return?”

Salem smiled. “Now we’re getting somewhere. In return? Watts promises not to take advantage of certain…items he’s left behind in the Atlas computer system. I think he’ll keep his word, since I refuse to support him if he doesn't. I will also turn Tyrian Callows over to the Atlas constabulary—provided he’s not put to death. I’ll admit that he probably deserves it, but my way will guarantee he is no longer a threat.”

“I don’t see how,” Ironwood replied.

“He worships me, General. If I tell him to cut off his own hand and eat it, he will do it. Trust me on this, if nothing else: if I tell him to go voluntarily into prison, he will.”

Ironwood nodded. “Is that all?”

“Yes.”

Ironwood leaned back in his chair, folding his fingers over his chest. It wasn’t a bad deal. If Watts no longer had the support of Salem, and he acted up, Ironwood could have him arrested—or simply shoot the pain in the ass. Tyrian Callows in custody also would be something that would make the Atlas constabulary very happy, that the psychopath would no longer be loose. “All right. Why the business license?”

“I’m afraid that will remain a secret. But I can assure you it is not for nefarious purposes.”

“Why should I trust you?”

Salem shrugged. “You can’t. But I’m fairly certain that if I was going to destroy Atlas, I would hardly do it from a small business in Mantle’s commercial district.”

“Okay. And the third item? I’ll need to know what it is.”

To Ironwood’s surprise, the red eyes turned misty. “It’s a painting. It used to belong to me. It depicts a family—a man, a woman, and four children. The woman is me. It should be fairly easy to find; surely the Atlesian archives do not have many paintings of women who look like I do.”

“It may take some time to find it.”

She nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

Ironwood turned to stare out the window for a moment. He didn’t like pardoning Watts, but it wouldn’t be a bad trade for Tyrian. The business license was out of his baliwick, but wouldn’t be hard to get. The painting might take a few weeks to turn up, but it could be found. Assuming there was nothing overly strange about it—something that could be used as a weapon—he saw no reason not to give it to Salem. After all, it was hers.

“All right. I agree.” He stood, walked down the stairs, and held out a hand. He never thought he would ever do this, not in a lifetime, not even if he was forced to surrender to Salem, because Ironwood would rather die than surrender. She took the hand: hers was cool to the touch, but not cold. It was surprisingly firm. They shook once, and that was that. “A strange world we live in,” he murmured.

“Yes, isn’t it?”

Ironwood decided that a little hospitality wouldn’t hurt. “Would you like a drink? That’s how we usually seal business deals around here.”

Salem raised an eyebrow. “It has been some time since I’ve had Atlesian schnapps.”

“Not a fan. Will barrel-aged Mistrali whiskey do?”

“Certainly.” Ironwood returned to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He poured them both a finger, then, after she took it, held it up. “Shall we drink to peace, then?”

Salem shook her head. “General, I am not declaring peace. Only an armistice for 13 years. But…I will drink to that.” They toasted each other, and then to Ironwood’s surprise, Salem tossed back the shot. Unwilling to be outdone, he did the same, and nearly regretted it: the whiskey set off a bomb in his stomach. He couldn’t resist a cough. Salem smirked, grabbed the bottle, and poured some more. And because she was tired of standing, she magicked a chair into existence and sat down. “This is quite good,” she remarked, though this time she sipped it.

So did Ironwood. “Not bad. Kind of potent, though.”

Winter Schnee walked up the stairs, fighting back a yawn. Really, she should be in bed, but she wanted to get her paperwork out of the way. Qrow was due to return tomorrow, and she didn’t want her duty to distract her. She shivered deliciously at the thought, though she still couldn’t for the life of her understand what she saw in him. He barely understood personal hygiene, he was crass, brash, foul-mouthed, not terribly intelligent, and knew exactly how to push her buttons. Then again, maybe that was _why_ she liked him so much. Winter had to admit that maybe she just had a weakness for bad boys.

As she walked up the stairs towards Ironwood’s office to deliver the paperwork—if the General had already retired, she could just slip it under his door—she heard laughter: first Ironwood’s deep boom, then feminine laughter. Winter wondered about that. She knew Ironwood and Glynda Goodwitch dated on occasion, a relationship not unlike hers and Qrow’s. It didn’t sound much like Glynda, however; for one thing, Glynda rarely laughed.

Winter raised her hand to knock, but after one particularly high-pitched peal of laughter, she couldn’t help herself, and opened the door.

Ironwood was leaning back in his chair, laughing. Across from him, in a chair she didn’t recognize, was a woman dressed in black, with pale skin, who was describing something and spilling whiskey on the floor in the process. “No, really!” she said. “I still can’t believe he did that. I had him too—a full house! But Oztin had four of a kind.”

Ironwood leaned forward and poured more of the whiskey. “You seriously lost the Relic of Knowledge in a _poker game?”_

“I didn’t say it was a good idea!” Salem replied. “That Oztin was a scamp. Of all of Ozma’s reincarnations, I think I liked him best. Not so dour as Ozpin. He always talked me into things like that! I’m surprised he didn’t talk me into bed.” 

“What the…” Winter said, and both turned in her direction.

“Whoa,” Salem said. “I must be pretty tipsy if I didn’t notice her coming in.”

Ironwood grinned and motioned Winter forward. “Winter! C’mon in! This is Salem!” Winter’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull and she went for the sword at her side, but Ironwood waved her down. “No, no, it’s all right. This is part of the armistice negotiations.” Salem let out a stentorian belch that rattled the windows. She put a hand over her mouth and blushed. “Pardon me.”

“Nah, that was a good one,” Ironwood told her. Winter hesitantly stepped forward. Salem got to her feet, almost fell, and held out an unsteady hand. Winter stared at the hand as if it was a snake that would bite her, but after a moment, shook hands with someone she knew was supposed to be her archenemy. “Hello,” the Queen of the Grimm said.

“Ah…the pleasure is all mine,” Winter said with automatic politeness. She could not hide the revulsion on her face; she’d been close to drunks far too much in her life. 

Salem blinked at her expression. “Oh…right. Yeah. Sorry. I suppose this must look pretty bad to you, with your mother and all.”

Winter nearly dropped the paperwork. “How did you know that?”

Salem tossed off the last of the whiskey. “I know things, Winter Schnee. I drink and I know things.” She nearly fell again. “Stupid fucking robe,” she murmured, not under her breath like she thought. “Should probably take it off, but don’t think I’m wearing anything beneath it.” That brought her attention back to Ironwood. “Say. Is there a Mrs. Ironwood?”

Ironwood shook his head. “No, not really.”

Salem gave him an appraising look, then thought better of it. “Nah…I better not. Getting drunk is how I got pregnant the second time. Probably wouldn’t happen this time, but still.” She turned to Winter, who had set down the paperwork and had taken four steps back. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, Schnee! Not with that shapeshifting freak you take to bed.”

Winter’s temper flared and she drew the sword, holding it to Salem’s throat. “Are you reading my mind, witch?”

Salem narrowed her eyes. “Well…not at the moment. I’m a bit fuzzy. I can tell you want to kill me, but there’s a bit of a problem with that.” To Winter’s surprise, Salem merely stepped forward and let the saber impale her. In horror, Winter drew the blade back, and tar-like blood spilled down the front of Salem’s dress, getting into her cleavage. Then the wound closed itself. Salem held up her hands. “Ta da.”

“You’re…you—“ Winter stammered.

Salem bowed. “Can’t be killed, Schnee. It’s a bitch. Also a great party game. The sword trick had them in the _floor_ during the Age of Magic. Used to piss Ozma off _so_ much.” Salem straightened, nearly fell again, and then staggered down the stairs, somehow keeping her footing. “Welp. I shall take my leave. Goodbye, General Ironwood. Nice to meet you, Colonel Schnee. I’ll be in touch.” And with a burst of purple smoke, she was gone.

Winter whirled on Ironwood. “You…just got _drunk_ with Salem? _Salem?!”_

Ironwood got to his feet, weaving only a little. “Actually, she drank a lot more than I did. I’m a little tipsy, but she drank most of the bottle. _And_ the first one we had.” He smiled at Winter. “Relax, Winter. Sometimes you have to shake hands with the devil.”

_Beacon Academy_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_Early the Next Morning_

“Ohhh…Jaune…” Pyrrha moaned. She opened her legs a little more and hiked her skirt up over her stomach so she could watch better. She and Jaune had gone for their usual early morning run and workout, and when they’d returned to the dorm, they saw that Ren and Nora had already left for breakfast. With a smile and a deep blush, Pyrrha had pulled off her panties and invited Jaune to do a little eating himself. 

She jerked spasmodically as a shudder went through her. She and Jaune had been making out whenever they had a moment together, but this was the first time they’d had any chance to be really alone. Nora would take her time at breakfast, so they would have time for what Yang would call a quickie. And for an amateur, Jaune was very good at this sort of thing. 

Then there was a knock at the door.

Pyrrha and Jaune stopped, waited for the knocking to go away. It didn’t, and became more insistent. If it was Ren or Nora, they would understand. If it was anyone else, they could damned well go away. In Pyrrha’s mix of lust and anger, Milo rattled in the weapons rack as she considered throwing it into the door as a warning.

Finally, there was no point in trying to ignore it any longer. “Who is it?” Jaune called out, not trying to disguise the anger in his voice.

“Professor Ozpin,” came the answer.

“Shit,” Jaune whispered. Pyrrha added a particularly vile curse in ancient Mistrali. They looked at each other, sighed, and got off Jaune’s bed. She hiked down her skirt and pulled her panties back on, while Jaune readjusted himself in his jeans. Pyrrha ran a hand through her hair, redid her ponytail, and nodded to Jaune, who opened the door.

Ozpin smiled. “Good morning, Mr. Arc. Is Miss Nikos in? I need to talk to her. I’m afraid it’s somewhat urgent.”

“Uh, sure.” The headmaster walked in. He stared at Pyrrha for a moment over the tops of his glasses, and Jaune realized that it was probably fairly obvious what they’d been up to: their clothes were still a little disheveled, and Pyrrha’s skin was flushed. He was too polite to mention it. “I’m very sorry to disturb you, both of you, but I’m afraid something has come up. I’m afraid I need your help, Miss Nikos.”

She slightly bowed her head. “Certainly, sir. What can I do to help you?”

Ozpin hesitated, then leaned on his cane, fixing her with a steady gaze. “Tell me, Miss Nikos…what is your favorite fairy tale?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. Probably no bigger a "wham line" than Ozpin's last sentence.
> 
> And yes, Salem totally quoted Tyrian Lannister there. I couldn't resist. I probably shouldn't enjoy writing Drunk Salem, but I do.


	38. A Kind of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ozpin takes Pyrrha and Jaune down to the Vault, where Pyrrha has to make the biggest decision of her life: to become the Fall Maiden.
> 
> Unfortunately for Pyrrha, Cinder might have something to say about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a grim chapter, and setting up for the (sort of) climax to the story next chapter. I tried to at least put some humor in it.
> 
> I hate writing chapters like this, especially when real life is sort of grim these days, but the story sort of demands it, so here we go.

_The Vault of Beacon Academy_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_Later That Day_

She was young, Pyrrha thought, probably only a few years older than herself. A short woman with tanned skin, with a pageboy haircut, burn marks on her face. “What is her name?” Pyrrha asked.

“Amber,” Ozpin answered. He was quiet for a moment. “She’s the Fall Maiden.”

Pyrrha turned to face him. “When you told Jaune and I that the Maidens are real…I just can’t believe it.”

Ozpin smiled. “Miss Nikos, from all we’ve seen in our line of work, you’re surprised to find that most of our legends are true?”

“I suppose I shouldn’t be.” Pyrrha motioned around the equipment in the vault. Jaune stood nearby, as mystified as she was. “You’ve told me the legend of the Four Maidens is true. And you’ve brought me down here to show me one of them. I assume it’s not just because you wanted me to know.”

“No,” Ozpin said. “I’m asking you to be the new Fall Maiden, Pyrrha Nikos.”

_“What?”_ Jaune exclaimed.

Pyrrha nodded calmly. “I thought as much.”

Ozpin walked towards them. “This machinery was made by Atlas. It’s something of a desperation manuever. General Ironwood and I believe that the Maiden powers can be transferred from Amber to you, using this machine. It’s never been tried before, but the alternative is not optimal, to say the least.” He pointed at the empty pod, across the machine from Amber’s. “You’ll go in there, and the power would be transferred.”

“And what happens to Amber?” Pyrrha asked.

Ozpin could not meet her eyes. “Amber will die.”

“No.” Pyrrha’s answer was flat and determined.

“Pyrrha—“ Ozpin began.

“I said no.”

Ozpin went over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Miss Nikos, Amber is going to die whether you accept or not. This machine is all that is keeping her alive, and even that is beginning to fail.” He stepped back. “And there’s another reason. Amber’s condition is due to the fact that she was ambushed by unknown assailants. Those assailants are still out there, and we can expect that they will strike at Amber again, in an attempt to gain her power. If Amber should die before the power is transferred, it will go to the last person she was thinking of before she fell unconscious…which is almost certainly the person who attacked her.”

“And then that person will be the new Fall Maiden.” Pyrrha stated.

Ozpin nodded. “Yes.”

Pyrrha hugged herself; the room seemed suddenly chilled. “What will happen to me?” she asked at length.

“You will become even more powerful than you already are,” Ozpin told her. “Pyrrha, you have a mastery of your Semblance I’ve rarely seen in anyone, let alone someone so young. Becoming the Fall Maiden…you will be able to control the weather. Call lightning. Move faster than anyone in the world. Throw fireballs. You will be, for all intents and purposes, a demigoddess.”

“What’s the catch?” Jaune asked.

“The catch, Mr. Arc?” Ozpin sighed. “You will become hunted, Miss Nikos. There will be many who want the power, and they will try to kill you for it. You may have trouble holding onto your humanity. Of course,” Ozpin smiled, “that may be where you can help, Mr. Arc.”

“Me? How?”

“By keeping Miss Nikos grounded. Not just you, but Team JNPR as a whole. Though, if my instincts are correct, I suspect you and Miss Nikos are more than merely teammates.” Both of them blushed, and Ozpin’s smile widened. “It’s none of my business, but having close friends—it’s the greatest weapon _anyone_ can have, not just Maidens.”

“I have only one question,” Pyrrha said. “Why me?”

“The Maidens, as the name suggests, must be female. Ideally, they must be trustworthy, honest, good-hearted, gentle, dedicated—and yet willing to _use_ the power, if necessary, to protect, and serve those who cannot protect themselves. It is being a Huntress, and yet so much more than being a Huntress. There are other things out there, more powerful than Grimm. More deadly.” Ozpin considered telling Pyrrha about Salem, everything about Salem, but then reconsidered. It was already too much to take in as it was. “Well. That is a lot to consider. I will let you think on it for a day or two.”

Pyrrha looked at Jaune. He stared back, gave her a small nod. “That’s all right, Professor.” Pyrrha set down Milo and Akouo, and walked towards the empty pod. He looked surprised. “Is there any particular reason to wait, sir?”

“You don’t want to think about it?”

“I already have.” Pyrrha paused in front of the pod. “I don’t want to do this, Professor. I don’t want this power—which is why, I suspect, you chose me. But it has to be done. And if you think I’m the right person, then how can I refuse?” She smiled, a little shakily. “Do you believe in destiny, Professor?”

“I do,” Ozpin replied.

“Then this must be _my_ destiny. Every moment we wait, any more we hesitate, and whoever attacked Amber will try again…and this time, they may succeed. Unless you have a better choice?” Ozpin shook his head; he knew of only one, and Summer Rose had refused. “Then there is no point in waiting.” She looked across the Vault to Jaune, and smiled. “I’ve already learned a lesson about waiting.”

“Wait, Pyrrha!” Jaune ran over to her. “You’re sure. You’re _really_ sure.”

In actuality, Pyrrha wasn’t. She wanted to run. She wanted to take Jaune and run far away, but if she did that, Amber might die, and someone evil would have the Maiden power. And even if Amber managed to live a little longer, someone else would have to take up the burden. Pyrrha knew she could not live with herself if she did that. “I’m sure, Jaune.”

“Then I’ll stay. I’ll stay and guard you.” He hefted his shield.

“Thank you, Jaune.” Pyrrha took him gently by the cheeks, and kissed him, feeling the warmth of his skin, and of his lips. 

“I think I love you,” he whispered.

“I think I love _you,”_ Pyrrha whispered back. She kissed him again, then he stepped back. With a deep breath, Pyrrha stepped into the pod. She gave Ozpin a nod, and Ozpin, with a heavy sigh, closed the pod door.

“I’m staying,” Jaune told the headmaster.

“Good. I’m obliged to you.” Ozpin began throwing switches, watching the power build up, then tapped in a series of programs. The machinery began to hum loudly, dangerously, drawing power from Beacon Tower itself. A single red word came up on the machine’s status display: COMMIT. Ozpin took one last look at Amber. “I’m so sorry,” he said, and pressed the button.

A yellow glow began to surround Amber, then a series of conduits between the pods did the same, and finally, it began to suffuse Pyrrha. 

She screamed.

  
  
Cinder Fall was walking down the long boulevard of Beacon Academy. She was alone now—no team, as Emerald and Mercury had disappeared; no backup, as Roman Torchwick and Neo Politan ignored her requests, and the White Fang was neutralized; no patron, because Salem was no longer interested in the war.

That was all right, Cinder reflected. She was used to being alone. She’d been alone a long time.

There were still pretenses to keep up, however; she still had to go to class. None of her former compatriots betrayed her, either out of fear for her power or knowledge that they would go to prison or the execution yard right along with Cinder. As far as the world knew, Cinder Fall was still the upperclassman exchange student from Haven. She was mildly surprised Leonardo Lionheart hadn’t gone running to Ozpin the moment Salem accepted the armistice, but she supposed then Lionheart would have to admit his own culpability. Fear ruled the elder Faunus, and fear was still one of Cinder’s best weapons. Beacon was enjoying the final day of its Spring Break, and Cinder was supposedly returning from her own vacation.

Then she stopped with a gasp, and nearly fell. _The Maiden power,_ she realized with terror. _Someone’s taking the Maiden power!_

When Cinder had ambushed Amber alongside Emerald and Mercury, they’d only had time to strip Amber of part of her power, before a scruffy Huntsman with a scythe had shown up out of nowhere. It was enough to inflict a mortal wound on Amber and increase Cinder’s own power a hundredfold. As a result, Cinder could be patient: sooner or later, Amber would die, and as the last person the Fall Maiden had ever seen, the power would pass to Cinder. She suspected strongly that the dying woman was at Beacon, somewhere, and thought about hurrying things along, but now more than ever, Cinder told herself to have patience, and wait.

But now someone was taking the rest of the power for themselves. She didn’t feel herself losing the Maiden power, but Cinder would well and truly be damned before she’d share power with anyone. 

“Cinder?” Velvet Scarlatina rushed to her. “Are you all right?”

“Y-yes,” Cinder struggled out. She straightened. “I’m all right. I just remembered I’m very late for an important date!” With that, she ran off at top speed.

Velvet stared after her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was being insulted.”

Pyrrha felt like someone was setting fire to every nerve end at once, a pain so intense that she almost used her Semblance to blow the pod door off. As it was, she couldn’t help but scream, and beat her fists against the upholstered interior of the pod. She’d never felt anything like this. The burning spread until it felt like her very soul was on fire. Pyrrha felt the black curtain of unconsciousness falling over her, and she gratefully accepted it, just to end the pain.

_Who are you?_ The voice penetrated the darkness Pyrrha found herself in.

“I’m Pyrrha,” she said, her voice echoing somehow. “Pyrrha Nikos.”

“The redhead?”

The blackness cleared, and instead of the green-tinted cover of the pod door, Pyrrha found herself standing in a field of flowers. It was a beautiful day, without a cloud in the sky, and birds chirped in the distance. She looked around. She didn’t have her weapons, though she wore her armor. “Am I dead?” she wondered aloud.

“No,” the voice answered, “but I think I am.”

Pyrrha turned and saw someone walking towards her, and was not at all surprised to find it was Amber. She was dressed in a battle outfit of her own, all brown, white and green, the colors of a forest. Her wounds were gone. Amber looked at her hands. “Yep. Pretty sure I’m dead now.”

“I’m sorry,” Pyrrha said, unable to think of anything else to say.

Amber walked up to her. “So you’re the one Ozpin chose, huh?” She inspected Pyrrha up and down, and nodded. “You look the part, and if Oz trusts you, then I suppose it’s okay.” 

“It’s not worth your dying,” Pyrrha told her.

Amber shrugged. “Pyrrha—okay if I call you that?—I was dead the moment I stopped to help what I thought was a little girl. Turned out it was an illusion. Some bitch of a brunette was the one who killed me, not you. I guess it’s not terribly sporting, but you find that bitch and kill her, okay? I’m okay with dying, but not being taken out by some punk.”

“What will happen to me? What will happen to you?” Pyrrha asked.

Amber sat down in the flowers, and motioned for Pyrrha to do the same. “Well, _I’m_ about to find out what happens when you die. It actually sounds kind of interesting. Who was the Haven philosopher who said that death was life’s last great adventure? Oh well. As for you…” Amber grinned at her, and it was so infectious that Pyrrha found herself grinning back. “As for you, you’re going to have fun. I think I heard Ozpin tell you about being hunted, and great responsibility, and blah blah blah? It’s hard to remember when you’re in a coma. Everything’s a bit fuzzy. But I heard, Pyrrha, and I even saw you—maybe it’s the Maiden powers.

“But Ozpin’s kind of a dour old guy,” Amber said. “Being a Maiden is tough, no error, and yes, people will come after you. And you have to be really careful: it’s easy to let the power control you, not you control the power. That’s the toughest part. But other than that? It’s kind of fun. Everything’s better. Your senses are sharper. Did you know that bumblebees sing to each other? How about that there’s people who can turn into birds? Everyone else can seem moving in slow motion, but you get used to it. And oh my gods, the _sex._ You’re going to have the best sex anywhere, Pyrrha. You and that boy you’re with? Whew.” She shook her head. “Man, I’m going to miss that. Do you think there’s sex in the afterlife? I wonder who with? Maybe it’ll be with that hunky hero from the fairy tales.”

“Er…” Pyrrha wasn’t sure how to take that. 

Amber narrowed her eyes. “Wait, don’t tell me. Virgin?”

“Um…sort of? We’ve done…things, but no penetration. As of yet.”

The Fall Maiden rubbed her hands together. “Oh, are you in for a _treat!”_

Pyrrha couldn’t believe this was happening. She was in some sort of out-of-body, afterlife experience, and this soon-to-be former Fall Maiden wasn’t giving her pointers on how to use the power, but telling her about how awesome her sex life was going to be. “Well, I _could_ do that, the whole experience thing,” Amber said. “But honestly? It’s not something you can pass on. It’s something you’ll just know how to do. You’ll still need to practice, but it’s like the first day you discovered your Semblance.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Pyrrha told her. “I shorted out every electrical circuit in my parents’ house and accidentally hit my mother with a frying pan when I discovered my Semblance.”

“There is a bonus.” Amber put her arm around Pyrrha’s shoulders. “Ozpin doesn’t know this, or maybe he forgot to tell you—he does that sometimes; it’s annoying. Anyway, you will carry a piece of everyone who has held the Fall Maiden powers in you. You won’t be able to really hear them, but you’ll know they’re there. They’ll guide you—if you listen. If you don’t, you’ll find that the power deserts you when you need it the most.” Amber pulled her close. “The woman who gave me the Maiden power—she used to actually talk to me, at least for awhile. I’ll do that with you. I don’t know how long it will be, but I’ll do what I can, okay?”

“You…won’t take control of me, will you?”

Amber laughed. “Nah. Doesn’t work that way. Too bad; I’d love to piggyback your brain when that strapping blond lad is banging your brains out tonight. But…you know…when you need me, I’ll be there.” She checked her watch. “Huh. Well. I don’t think this is going to take too much longer.” Amber leaned over and kissed Pyrrha’s cheek. “It’s going to be okay, Pyrrha Nikos. For all of us. Don’t ask me how I know…but I do.”

Pyrrha smiled and looked down. “I’m still sorry this happened to you.”

“Meh. That’s life.” Amber suddenly looked up. “Oh shit.”

“What?” Pyrrha was on her feet, looking for threats, abruptly remembering she had no weapons.

Amber was staring at something Pyrrha couldn’t see. “That brunette bitch I was talking about? Yeah. She’s coming.”

The elevator doors opened, and Jaune involuntarily looked in that direction. To his surprise, he recognized Cinder Fall, the tall, gorgeous exchange student from Haven. She raised up something, which he couldn’t see in the semidarkness, but then he saw her arm go back, and knew it had to be a bow. It wasn’t aimed at him, Ozpin or Pyrrha, who had gone distressingly quiet, but at Amber.

Without Pyrrha’s training, Jaune would have never recognized the threat, much less reacted to it as fast as he did. But he _did_ remember her training: all the times she’d used her Semblance to throw practice spears at him. It taught him to use his shield for more than just hiding behind. In the fastest move of his life, Jaune threw himself between Cinder and Amber, bringing his shield up. 

Something hit the metal hard, enough that Jaune saw the arrowhead come through the shield and stop a mere inch from his face. He fell to the floor with a clang of armor, but when he looked up at Amber, her pod was still intact. Jaune got to his feet, and the arrow simply melted away, leaving only the hole in the shield.

“Get out of the way,” Cinder hissed. “This doesn’t concern you!”

Ozpin turned. “So. It was you. Qrow described a woman your height and your hair color, but I never did make the connection.”

Cinder stepped into the dim, greenish light. “Yes, it was me, Ozpin. _I_ took the power. It belongs to _me!”_

“Which is precisely why you’ll never have it.”

To Jaune’s horror, Cinder’s eyes lit up—literally. Flames appeared around her eyes, and around her hands. “And you’re going to stop me?” She brought up the bow again, and three obsidian arrows appeared on an invisible bowstring. Cinder leveled the bow at Ozpin and fired. Jaune once more tried to throw himself in the way, but he was much too far away.

Ozpin simply moved his hands. The arrows were deflected off a green shield that suddenly appeared, to fly harmlessly to parts unknown. “Child,” he said sadly, “did Salem tell you who I am?”

“Yes. You’re the reincarnation of the great Ozma. And you can’t be truly killed, since you’ll simply reincarnate.” Cinder smiled. “And you are the great and powerful Ozpin, but I am Cinder Fall. I am the Fall Maiden.”

“No,” Ozpin replied, as if annoyed at a student who consistently kept getting the answers wrong. “You’re _partially_ the Fall Maiden. Powerful, indeed. But not the full Fall Maiden.”

She drew back the bow again, and stepped forward. “Not yet.”

Ozpin stepped forward. “Jaune. Will you defend Pyrrha?”

Jaune got up and rushed over to his lover. “With my life.”

“Good.” He raised his cane with one hand; with the other, Jaune noticed, he was manipulating his Scroll. To Jaune’s surprise, he realized Ozpin was texting. Then he let the Scroll drop to the floor and took another step towards Cinder. “Shall we?” he asked her, and now had both hands on his cane.

Jaune looked down at the open Scroll. The number Ozpin had texted read _Summer Rose._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: FIGHT!


	39. The Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Summer, Tai and Team RWBY rush to Beacon, Ozpin and Jaune fight Cinder in the Vault, with the prize being the Fall Maiden's powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the day's delay! I'm currently writing the Battle of Beacon in "On RWBY Wings," and tying all those plot threads together is a big job. Even I have a limit on writing RWBY, so I had to wait on this one.

_Menagerie-Vale Airship_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_Around the Same Time As Cinder’s Attack_

Ruby Rose awoke, yawned, and stretched, feeling her back pleasantly pop. “Good afternoon,” Summer smiled at her youngest daughter. 

“Mm. Hey, Mom.” They sat across from each other. Since Ruby had not done something stupid like eat an entire bag of orange peanuts, her stomach was in much better shape this time. She’d fallen asleep not long after liftoff from Menagerie. “How far are we out?” 

“Not much further, now.” Summer kept her voice down. “I think we’re the only ones awake.”

Ruby looked around. Once more, Summer’s “emergency clearance” from Ozpin had gotten Team RWBY, Summer and Tai the entire first class section of the airship. Summer was right: everyone else was asleep. Tai leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. Weiss was curled up in her seat, leaning against the window. And Blake and Yang were leaning against each other, head on each other’s head. Ruby stifled a laugh: Yang was drooling a little. They’d all been up late the night before, as Kali and Ghira had given them a gigantic beach barbecue as a sendoff. Sun and Neptune weren’t included in Team RWBY, so the slightly overofficious Atlesian crew had refused to let them into first class; they were back in coach, behind them on the airship. 

“It’s been the busiest vacation we’ve ever been on,” Ruby sighed. “Mom, I don’t want to go back to school.”

Summer raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Don’t want to be a Huntress anymore?”

“Well, yeah, but—“

“Then you have to go to school.” Ruby made a pouting face, and Summer laughed. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t miss sending you off to school.”

“Meh.” Ruby got up and walked over to her mother. “Mom, while everyone’s asleep…can I ask you something?” She sat on the carpeted floor next to the seat.

“Of course.”

“It’s…kind of personal.”

Summer slid out of her seat and sat next to her. “Ruby, you can talk to me about anything. I’m your mother, remember?”

“Okay.” Ruby nodded over to Blake and Yang. “Mom, I know it’s dumb, but…did you ever get lonely when you were at Beacon? I mean, I don’t know if Yang and Blake are a couple now, or just fooling around, but at least they have each other. And Weiss…well, she hooked up with Neptune, so maybe they’re dating now. I don’t have anyone. I mean, Sun’s probably available, but I just don’t know about him. He gets around a lot.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” While Summer could understand what Salem might see in Sun Wukong, she still couldn’t believe he’d ended up having an affair with the Queen of the Grimm. “But to answer your question, Ruby…I got _very_ lonely at Beacon.” She leaned back against the seat, and glanced up at Tai. “Ruby, I wanted your father like I wanted air. I think I fell in love with him the first time I saw him. And he hasn’t changed: he’s still the gentle, tough, loving goofball he was at Beacon. But when he proposed to Raven…” Summer remembered that day clearly. It still felt like a dagger to the stomach. “My heart broke. I wanted him to propose to _me_. I wanted to be so angry, and yet, I couldn’t be. Raven was my best friend. I was happy for her, and Tai. So I sort of wrote off that I’d ever fall in love.” She reached out and messed up Ruby’s hair. “But, then things changed. Raven was an idiot to leave Tai, but I’m glad she did. I didn’t want to just slide into Raven’s spot, Ruby; it just happened that way, because Tai needed help with Yang, and I was available to help. Then one thing led to another…” Summer remembered that first time. Tai had surprised her, coming out of the shower. They’d already known something was going to happen; it was just a matter of when. Summer had taken the initiative, dropping her towel, providing the invitation—and Tai had taken it. And her.

“I know, Mom. Dad told us the story." Ruby blushed. "Well, not the 'one thing led to another' part. No details. But he wanted us to never forget you loved us both so much.”

Summer fought back a sob. She reached out and hugged Ruby. “I love you and Yang more than life itself. You’ve both grown up to be such fine young women. Tai did such a wonderful job raising you.” She let go, though she didn’t want to. She wanted to hold onto Ruby forever, and never let her grow up. But grow up Ruby would, as Yang had. “Ruby, do you believe in destiny?”

“Sure, I guess.”

Summer kissed Ruby on the forehead. “You’ll find someone, Ruby. Or they’ll find you. They’re out there, somewhere. But you’re only fourteen.”

“Fifteen, Mom.”

“Right, sorry. Fifteen. There’s still plenty of time.”

“Is there?” Ruby looked away from her mother. “Mom, I’m sort of a Huntress already. I killed someone. I’ve fought Grimm and I’ve fought the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. And even with Salem not trying to come after us for awhile, there’s still going to be Grimm and people like Sienna Khan. Can I afford to wait?”

Summer nodded. “Yes. The biggest mistake you could make would be to start a relationship on the basis of not wanting to die a virgin. There were opportunities at Beacon for me, Ruby. I mean, guys weren’t exactly fighting over me, but there were one or two who would’ve been happy to take my virginity. But I didn’t love them, and they didn’t love me.” Summer looked over at the remainder of Team RWBY. “All of you are old enough to take responsibility, as much as it hurts to admit it. If you choose to have a fling, well, I won’t like it, but I can hardly stop you—I’m not going to be looking over your shoulder, after all. But I waited, Ruby. I waited until I found a man who loved me, truly loved me. And I’ve never regretted it.” She winked at her daughter. “After all, that’s how you came along.”

“Aww, Mom.” Ruby went to hug her, but then Summer’s Scroll began to buzz. “Mom?”

Summer reached into the pocket of the sweater she was wearing. “I wonder who that could be.” She opened it, saw it was a text, and began to read. Her eyes widened. “Oh gods.” She dropped the Scroll as she got to her feet. Ruby read the text; it was from Ozpin: _Fall Maiden under attack. Come quick._ “Ruby, get everyone up. Hurry.” Ruby jumped to her feet with a short nod. Just like that, Summer had shifted from loving mother to combat commander, a team leader.

As Ruby woke up her team and Tai, Summer snatched up her Scroll and dashed to the cockpit door, hammering on it. “Open up! Huntress emergency!”

The door was opened by the airship’s flight engineer. “What’s going on?”

“How far are we from Beacon?”

The flight engineer pointed out the cockpit windows. In the distance, Summer could see the tall tower of Beacon Academy. “We’re about 30 minutes out from Vale. We should start descending soon.”

“I have an emergency from Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy. They’re under attack.” The flight engineer hesitated, and Summer showed her Huntress ID on her Scroll. “I’m a team leader. This is an emergency. I need you to pour on the power and land directly at Beacon. Immediately.”

The pilot turned in his seat. “Ma’am, you’re not in command of this airship. I am. I’ll increase power, but we’re landing at Vale, not at Beacon. I am not authorized to land there by Atlesian Lines.”

Summer stared at him. “Team RWBY!” she snapped over her shoulder. The four young Huntresses came forward. “If the pilot does not comply with my wishes in five seconds, you will take control of the cockpit, with minimal damage to crew and instruments.”

The pilot looked stunned. “You can’t do that!”

“Actually, she can,” Tai called out. “’In an emergency, a Huntsman or Huntress may seize a mode of transportation for their personal use.’ Section 42 of the Inter-Realm Agreement on Hunters.”

“But…” the pilot protested. “If you do something to us, none of you can fly the airship.” The copilot looked less than enthusiastic about being included in “us.” 

“I can,” Weiss said. She was qualified on smaller airships like her sister’s, but the principle was the same. 

“Come on, Bob,” the copilot said. “Don’t be a dick.”

“All right, all right.” The pilot tried to salvage some of his dignity. “Changing course five degrees.” He and the copilot pushed up on the throttles. “Going to full power. We should be able to make Beacon in ten minutes. But you’d better be right, ma’am.”

“Ten minutes,” Summer mused. She hoped it would be enough.

_The Vault_

_Around the Same Time_

“Damn you!” Cinder screamed, and fired two more arrows. Ozpin blocked them again, almost casually. She’d already shot at him ten times, from every angle she could think of—jumping above him, flanking him, even sliding forward. Every time, his cane had been there to knock away her arrow. It made no sense, she thought. Ozpin was old. She was young, at the near height of her powers; he was just an old professor. And yet he wasn’t just beating her, he was humiliating her. 

She gathered her power into a fireball and tossed that at him, for the third time. The fireballs seemed to at least put him a little more on the defensive, but instead of knocking them away with his cane, he dissipated them with a green shield. He was still on his feet. Ozpin shook his head at her. “Cinder Fall,” he addressed her, “you should stop this. You’re not strong enough to defeat me.”

“I _am_ strong,” she hissed. She wanted to jam that cane down his throat for that. Cinder was always strong. And she needed to be stronger. 

“You are. But while you have the power, you don’t know how to use it.”

“I will not be _lectured!”_ She threw another fireball, and this was stopped as easily as before. Then, enraged beyond reason, she went straight at him, snapping her bow in half into two obsidian blades. She’d plunge them crisscross through his chest, then kill the other three, and the power would be hers. He threw up a shield, but she blasted through that and brought up the blades.

Abruptly, Cinder realized she’d been suckered into a trap. Ozpin moved in a blur, hitting her three times in the chest before she’d even realized he was on the attack. As she reeled from that, he cracked her across the face, sending her flying nearly the length of the vault. Her blades went to parts unknown. 

Cinder paused for a moment, to get her breath. She tasted blood in her mouth; he’d just about destroyed her Aura with that one attack—or was it _four_ attacks? “Don’t you see this is pointless, Miss Fall?” Ozpin called out, his voice echoing. “There is no reason for this battle! Salem has signed an armistice! She’s no longer supporting you!”

“To hell with Salem!” Cinder screamed. She called back her blades, reforming them into a bow, and got to her feet. _Think,_ she told herself. Cinder knew that was her greatest weakness: she tended to just attack when something angered her, and Ozpin was deliberately pushing her buttons. But Ozpin had a weakness, too. Everyone did.

Cinder glanced around the vault. Jaune was wisely hunkering down behind his shield, keeping himself between Cinder and Pyrrha, still out cold in her pod, though the orange glow around her had gotten stronger. Not that he’d had to do much other than deflect the odd arrow richochet. The orange glow around Amber was starting to fade. _That’s it,_ she thought.

She gathered herself, gathered the power, and sent herself flying forward. Ozpin brought his cane up, but she suddenly arrested her change, spun as she slid to a halt, and threw a fireball—at Jaune. Jaune saw it coming and brought up his shield just in time. The fire scorched the shield, but it held, even if it drove him back a few feet, up against Pyrrha’s pod. Cinder summoned fire arrows and pointed three of them at the young Huntsman, and fired. At first, all three went straight at him, and Jaune once more raised his shield, but then two split off to attack from both sides. He could stop one, but not all three—and one of them was headed for Pyrrha.

“No!” Ozpin shouted.

Summer looked out of the window. Beacon Academy was going by below, and she nearly fell as the airship’s crew reversed thrust to slow them down. There was a landing pad at one end of the Academy, but it was occupied by a Bullhead; the pilot could set down outside the Academy grounds, on the lawn, but it would take more time than Summer thought they had.

“Tai! Open the door!”

He gripped the emergency release, turned it, and wrestled it up. Cold wind blew into the cabin, and Tai looked down. “Summer, we’re too high!”

“Mom!” Ruby yelled, and threw her Crescent Rose. “Landing strategy!”

“Dad!” Yang stripped off Ember Celica, and threw them to Tai. “What Ruby said!”

“We love you,” Tai said, and leapt out of the door as he strapped Ember Celica on. Summer took a look at her children, maybe for the last time— _no, dammit,_ she told herself, _don’t think that._ “Follow us as soon as you land!” she shouted at Team RWBY, and dived out the door. 

Tai had helped Yang build Ember Celica at Signal, and had tested the gauntlets out himself before he allowed Yang to start training with them. While Summer’s weapon was different than Crescent Rose, some of the principles were the same. Both fired their weapons towards the ground, using the kinetic energy in the blasts to slow them down enough so that the landing on the hard concrete of Beacon’s entranceway was just painful rather than crippling. Tai landed and rolled, absorbing the shock of landing with his Aura, and got to his feet; Summer made an impressive three point landing: Crescent Rose, hands, and knee. Students returning from spring break leaped backwards, and some began applauding.

Tai helped her to her feet. “Need to work on the landing strategy, hon. That looked awesome, but it’s hard on the knees.”

“Ow. Tell me about it.” They looked up to see Glynda Goodwitch running towards them, a worried expression on her face. “Summer Rose?” she said, a smile breaking out on her face, a smile none of the students at Beacon thought her capable of. “I’m glad you’re here; I can’t get hold of Ozpin—“

“Ozpin’s in trouble,” Summer said quickly, in hushed tones; she didn’t need to start a panic. “He’s down in the Vault.”

Glynda didn’t ask questions. She’d always trusted Team STRQ--at least the STR part. “Follow me.” They began running as fast as they could for the central elevator bank. 

Ozpin threw out his hands. A protective emerald bubble formed around Jaune and Pyrrha, bouncing off the arrows. But Cinder was already moving, and firing, this time pointing her shot at Amber. Ozpin twisted, and threw another shield around the Fall Maiden, stopping that arrow. Then he realized that Cinder had suckered _him:_ both attacks had been feints. Her real target was him. 

Ozpin looked up just in time to be hit by a fireball that had everything Cinder could summon behind it. It threw him backwards into the console of the transfer machine, with enough force that he felt his spine crack alarmingly; it didn’t break, but his legs went numb for a moment, and he collapsed. With a feeling of dread, he knew that his Aura was gone. Ozpin was powerful, but he was an older man, after all.

Cinder puffed, getting her breath, knowing her own Aura was about gone as well; she’d used it as a battery to increase the power of the fireball. Ozpin was on hands and knees, out of the fight for a moment; Jaune was looking back and forth, unsure of whether to attack Cinder or keep defending Pyrrha. Cinder had a second to act.

A second was all she needed. The fireball was her Maiden powers; the arrows were her Semblance. She summoned another, aimed, and fired it directly into Amber’s pod.

In the strange realm Pyrrha and Amber still occupied, between worlds and not part of them, they had been dimly aware of the battle—both knowing something was wrong, and neither able to do anything to influence it. In some strange fashion, they could hear the battle, but not see it.

“Oh.” Amber said into the silence. Pyrrha’s hands went to her mouth in horror. Protruding from between Amber’s breasts was a black, obsidian arrow. The Fall Maiden looked down at it. “Well, shit.”

“No!” Pyrrha screamed. She reached to pull the arrow out, but it faded on its own. “I won’t let you die, Amber!”

Amber smiled, somehow still on her feet. “Oh, silly. I was going to die anyway.” She stepped forward, and enfolded Pyrrha in a hug. “Too late, my friend. It’s too late.”

“No,” Ozpin said weakly, trying to get to his feet. Amber’s eyes opened, then fluttered for a moment before they closed forever. Her body went slack, held up in the pod only by the arrow pinning her to it. 

Cinder stood triumphantly. She threw Ozpin a death’s head grin. “Now the power is mine, Ozpin. It was inevitable. I was inevitable. _I_ am the Fall Maiden.” Fire shot up from her hands. “And now I think I’ll kill all of you.”

“It’s taking too long!” Summer yelled. She wasn’t sure what was worse: the fact that the elevator seemed to be crawling, or the fact that it was playing soft music. “Use your Semblance!” she screamed at Glynda.

“To do what?” Glynda shouted back. “If I use my telekinesis, I’ll snap the elevator cables! We’ll get down to the Vault, all right—in pieces!”

“We can make it!”

Tai sighed, gently pushed both ladies out of the way, and slammed a fist into the bottom of the elevator, touching off Ember Celica at the same time. He blew a hole in the floor. It was a long way down again—but not too far. “Summer. Go.”

She realized what he meant. It meant leaving him again, going into battle alone again. She didn’t want to do it. Summer never wanted to face a threat alone again, never wanted to leave her family again. But there was no choice. “I love you,” she said, and jumped through the hole. She activated her Semblance as she did so, but deliberately caromed off the walls to slow her descent. Each slam into the wall took away part of her Aura, but it would get her to the Vault much faster than the elevator. She reached the bottom, breathing hard, feeling like someone had beat every inch of her body with a pool cue, but she was there. She used Crescent Rose to blow the locks off the elevator door, and pulled them open.

Inside the Vault was silence. Cinder’s grin of triumph faltered. The fire in her hands glowed, but they did little more than that. She stared at them. “That’s strange.” She tried to throw fireballs at Ozpin, but what came out was little more than candle flame. “I don’t get it. Where’s the power? I don’t…I’m the Fall Maiden.”

Pyrrha’s pod door suddenly exploded, propelled by her Semblance. She stepped out of it, gently pushed Jaune aside, and brought up her hands. Flame exploded from them. “You’re _part_ of the Fall Maiden,” Pyrrha snarled. “And I’m the _other_ part.”

Cinder shook her head. “It can’t be. I killed Amber. The power should go to me!”

“It was too late,” Pyrrha smiled. “The power transfer was already complete. There was some left in her, but she gave it to me.”

Cinder’s mouth dropped open. “You…you were the last person in her thoughts. I wasn’t. _You_ were.”

“Mm-hm.” Pyrrha raised her hands. “You’re out of Aura, Cinder. I’m not.” Metal around the Vault began to rattle alarmingly. “And I’ve got a lot more than just partial Maiden powers.”

All of them turned as the elevator doors creaked open. Summer squeezed herself between them and rushed forward, snapping Crescent Rose into its scythe form. She skidded to a halt. “Oh. Hi.”

Pyrrha turned back to Cinder. “It’s over, Cinder.”

Cinder’s smile reappeared, though there was no humor in it. “Not quite yet.” She suddenly dashed over next to Ozpin, snapping her bow in half again. Before anyone could react, she had jammed one of the blades underneath the headmaster’s jaw. “One move and he dies.”

“Cinder, that’s insane!” Jaune yelled. “What are you going to accomplish? What’s the point?”

“I should think it was obvious.” She jammed it deeper into Ozpin’s skin, drawing blood.

“Cinder,” Summer said, setting down Crescent Rose and stepping forward. “He’s right. My husband and Glynda Goodwitch are right behind me. Even if you take him hostage, one of us is going to use our Semblance to get that blade away from you. Just drop it. It’s over.”

Cinder looked at each one of them. Beyond Summer, she could see the elevator doors being pried open further. Even if she somehow managed to escape, she wouldn’t get far. She had no friends left, nowhere to run to. Tears welled in her eyes and ran down her face. “No,” she said. “No.”

“Just drop the blades, Cinder,” Pyrrha told her. “No one else has to die!”

“Oh no, Pyrrha Nikos,” Cinder replied, baring her teeth. “One more person has to.” She pulled down the blade threatening Ozpin, as if she was going to drop it, then suddenly rammed it upwards with full force towards Ozpin’s throat.

Time seemed to slow. Pyrrha reached forward, trying to use her Semblance to arrest the blade; Jaune leapt forward to try and tackle Cinder. Behind her, Summer could hear Glynda scream. Summer knew she could reach the blade in time, but her Semblance wasn’t activating; her Aura was gone.

But there was one last card to play.

Summer felt the power gather behind her silver eyes, and let loose. The Vault turned white.

Cinder awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. Something was warm and soft beneath her. Slowly, she realized that she was still alive. Her heart was beating, her chest was going up and down evenly as she breathed. There was something on her face, however, something blowing cool air into her nose and mouth. She reached up with her left arm, but it wouldn’t respond. She tried again, and still nothing.

Then she understood why. It was no longer there. She also realized that she was only seeing out of one eye. There was no pain, but that was because she felt the numbing buzz of painkillers. Through the oxygen mask, there was the slight antiseptic smell of a hospital.

Frantically, Cinder looked around. There had to be something. Something she could use as a weapon. She felt that some of her Aura had returned. Pain was nothing. She could overcome the pain, if she could just move. 

“Please don’t move.” 

Cinder looked up at the voice, her eye darting around until it settled and focused on Pyrrha Nikos. “You,” Cinder said, though it came out as a croak. Her right arm raised. Cinder summoned the power, to form a fireball that would annihilate this upstart and give her _all_ the power of the Fall Maiden.

The power was gone. Cinder tried and tried to summon it, but it was gone.

Pyrrha looked down at her sadly. She solemnly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, orange flames haloed her eyes. “No…” Cinder cried. “No.”

“I am the Fall Maiden,” Pyrrha said. 

The tears began to fall again. Cinder hated the tears, hated herself. She’d failed. She’d always failed. 

“When you were hit by Summer Rose’s silver eyes, it tore off your left arm, burned most of your left side, and permanently blinded you in your left eye,” Pyrrha explained. “Summer didn’t mean to do that—she only meant to stun you. But apparently you’ve got Grimm in you. Her silver eyes burned the parts of you that were Grimm. The shock was such that your heart stopped. The Maiden powers came to me, and I used them to save your life.”

Cinder closed her eye, and turned away on the pillow. “Kill me,” she said softly.

“I will not,” Pyrrha answered. “Though perhaps you deserve it. You killed Amber. There’s probably many others you’ve killed. And you tried to kill me, Jaune and Ozpin. He’s still alive, by the way. A nasty cut on his chin, but he will live.”

“Why won’t you kill me…”

Pyrrha reached down and touched Cinder’s left shoulder; it was still there. Cinder felt the warmth through the glove and the gown she wore, and wished the moon would fall on her. “Cinder, you would’ve taken my life without hesitation, maybe even enjoyed it, because that’s your nature. I spared your life, because that is mine.”

“Which is why Ozpin chose you,” Cinder whispered.

“I suppose so.” Pyrrha withdrew her hand and stared down at her. “Everything that has happened has happened because of second chances, and because so many people—Salem, Summer Rose, even myself—wanted to live. Not just exist, but live. Now it’s your turn to choose. The power to kill, or the power to live? Your Aura will heal you. Not the parts that were destroyed because they were Grimm, but the rest. But whatever is broken inside of you—that’s something you’ll have to heal yourself, without Maiden powers and without Aura.”

Cinder was quiet for a long time. “It’s too late for me,” she finally said.

“It’s never too late.” Pyrrha once more touched her shoulder, then turned and left, leaving Cinder Fall alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're actually almost done with this story...but not quite yet.


	40. Epilogue 1: Right Here, Right Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Remnant settles into its new, strange peace, Summer and Tai do some settling as well. Meanwhile, at Beacon, Winter decides to visit her sister Weiss, and realizes her little sister isn't so little anymore. Then again, Winter has her own secret...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting to wind this story down and tying everything together. Still got a couple of chapters left.

_The House of Summer and Tai_

_Island of Patch, World of Remnant_

_Three Weeks Later_

Taiyang Xiao Long carefully parked Zippy in the garage, careful not to hit the back wall again. He’d just replaced the tail light. Another thing that had changed with Summer’s return: he’d realized he was something of a crazy driver. A disastrous attempt to teach Ruby how to drive while visiting Beacon, which nearly ended up in vehicular manslaughter when she ran down Penny Polendina, convinced Tai that he needed to slow down and be more careful. Luckily, the Polendina girl’s reflexes were faster than anything he’d ever seen. 

He shut off the engine, got the groceries out of the back, and walked whistling into the house, somehow getting the door open with one hand and his butt. Tai set the groceries on the kitchen table, and grinned. “Honey, I’m home!” Zwei waddled up to him and sat, quietly waiting to be petted. Tai reached down and gave the dog a scratch behind the ears.

“Up here!” Summer called out from upstairs.

Tai put away the perishables, decided the rest could wait, and headed upstairs, Zwei following. It was hard to believe that it had been just over a month since Summer had come back. The world had changed so much in that month, in a good way. He was still getting used to the house not being empty. “Where are you?” Tai asked.

“Bedroom.” Tai turned, saw that the door was pushed to, and opened it. 

Summer lay on the bed without a stitch to her name. “Hello there.”

Tai’s eyes widened. “Well. Wasn’t expecting this.”

She ran her hands down her body, across her breasts, down the flat stomach, over her thighs. “Surprise.”

Tai didn’t question the why. Quickly, he stepped out of his shoes, unbuttoned his shirt, tossed it aside, and then dropped his pants and underwear. Zwei looked from Tai to Summer, then walked out of the bedroom; the humans clearly needed privacy, and their mating was not something that particularly interested him. Tai closed the door behind him—they were the only ones in the house, but there was never any telling when Qrow would show up, and his bad luck Semblance practically guaranteed it would be at the worst time. Or Ruby and Yang, who didn’t have that excuse. He climbed into bed and looked hungrily at his wife, then gathered her into an embrace. “What about the groceries?” she asked, as he began nuzzling her neck.

“I put away the stuff that might spoil.”

“Smart thinking.” She kissed his blonde hair, and felt him getting hard against her as his hands began to part her thighs. “Whoa. No foreplay?”

Tai bent down and kissed both of Summer’s nipples. “There. Foreplay.” His erection hovered at her opening.

Summer laughed. “Okay there, fella. Hold on. I didn’t realize I’d get you going that fast.”

Tai paused. “You sit there butt naked in bed, give me an invitation that’s practically written in iambic pentameter that you want me to bang you hard, and then tell me to hold on? Fickle female.”

“Well, I’ve got something to tell you.” 

“Well, it can wait.” Tai pressed forward, nearly entering her, teasing her. Summer could not fight down a shudder of desire. He began to move further, but then she grabbed his cheeks—the ones on his face, not his rear—and fixed him with those silver eyes he loved to get lost in. “Listen to me, you horny bastard. You’re going to be a daddy. Again.”

Tai stopped. “You…”

Summer squirmed out of his embrace long enough to grab the test wand from the end table. He held it up to him. Tai had been through this twice before, and could read the test as easily as she could. It was positive: Summer was pregnant.

He seized her and kissed her with wonderful ferocity. “Summer, I love you so damn much!”

“I love you times infinity.” She set aside the test kit. “I think I’m about two or three weeks along, so more than likely he or she got started in Menagerie or the night after we got home.”

Tai laughed softly. “Let’s hope it was in Menagerie. That would be a lot easier to explain to our son that he got started on a beach on an exotic island, rather than on the stairs.” Summer’s back hurt a little with that memory. As soon as they had returned to the house—empty except for Zwei—they’d barely gotten through the front door before they were kissing each other. Their clothes had been shed between the door and the staircase; they’d never made it to the bedroom, performing the capital act on the stairs. Summer had walked strangely for a week.

“Son?” she teased him. “What if we have another little girl?”

“Nope,” Tai insisted. “This one’s going to be a boy.”

“Well, we’ll find out in another few weeks, I suppose.” Summer knew that Tai, despite his insistence, would be good either way. She leaned back in the pillows as he ran a hand over her stomach. She wasn’t showing, of course; she wouldn’t for another month or two. “Ugh. I guess I’ve got to look forward to morning sickness, weird food cravings, and looking like I swallowed a beach ball.”

“Don’t forget the hormone swings.” Tai remembered. “Though you were better than Raven in that regard. One moment Raven was trying to strangle me, next she was trying to screw me.” His ex-wife’s name came more easily to his lips now; he was no longer ashamed or reluctant to talk about her. The hurt was still there, but it was better. “But yeah, I guess I’d better lay in a few months’ worth of chocolate chip cookies. I remember the night I caught you eating raw cookie dough and strawberries.”

“Oh well,” Summer sighed. “It’s all worth it in the end.” He lay down next to her, both just happy to be with the other. Her left hand played with his chest hair, then moved down and grasped his member. It had softened some, but she quickly got it erect again. “We’ll have to think of names, too. And tell the girls. Ruby and Yang will be so happy! Especially Ruby. She won’t be the littlest one anymore.”

“Quite an age gap.” There would be 15 years between Ruby and her new sibling; 17 for Yang. Tai sometimes had to remind himself that Summer was still in her mid-twenties. He shifted as she continued to stroke him.

“Do we still have any of Yang or Ruby’s old baby stuff? I think we’d already thrown out the crib by the time I, um, left. I hope one of them doesn’t mind giving up their room…I think Yang would be better with it. Guess we’ll have to learn to change diapers again…and I suppose I’ll have to take a refresher on birthing techniques…”

Tai was starting to grip the bedcovers. Summer kept her hand moving, even as she talked. “Uh, Summer…”

“And then there’s the cost. You’re still working at Signal, and Ozpin agreed to give me half my back pay, so we should be okay, but we might want to think about it just in case. Maybe during the summer, when Ruby and Yang are here, we could probably get them to pay some rent, now that they’ll be drawing a small stipend as apprentice Huntresses.”

Tai was now doing everything he could not to thrust into her hand. “Summer! For the gods’ sakes! I’m not going to last here!”

Summer let go and turned her head to face him. “Heh. I know.” She brushed her hands over her stripe of pubic hair and let her thighs fall open. “Then I guess you’d better get to it, old man.”

“I’ll show you old.” He rolled over, and in a single movement, pushed into her. She was already very wet. “I’ll get you _more_ pregnant.”

Summer tucked her legs behind his back. “You’re such a goof. I feel sorry for our son.” She closed her eyes as he began thrusting into her. There was no place in the world she’d rather be than right here, right now.

“Ha! You said son!” Tai crowed.

_Beacon Academy_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_The Next Day_

Winter Schnee walked with dignified grace from her personal airship, leaving her guards behind. She stepped down the stairs towards Beacon. It was so much more airy and open than Atlas, and the warm breeze actually felt a tad too warm. Winter, much like her namesake, didn’t think much of warm weather. Warm weather meant easy, and there was nothing about Winter Schnee that was easy. 

“Winter!” Weiss dashed forward, her arms open for a hug. The elder Schnee waited until Weiss had committed herself, and then easily sidestepped her. Weiss’s arms closed on empty air, and she stumbled and nearly fell.

Winter clicked her tongue. “Tch. Your attack was telegraphed too far away, and thus was child’s play to avoid.”

“I was trying to hug you!” Weiss exclaimed.

“And such public displays of affection are not necessary. I am a Colonel in the Atlesian Royal Guard. We do not hug.” Weiss looked downcast. “Eyes up here, Weiss! You always make eye contact when you are speaking to someone, especially a superior officer.”

Weiss came to attention, spearing her sister with an icy glare. “Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. It’s a sign of weakness. I expect that from those undisciplined girls you team with, not you.”

“Of course,” Weiss barked.

“Good. Now, I will inspect your living quarters. I refuse to let a Schnee stay in any abode that’s up to code.” Winter paused. “And do not mistake my rhyming for a cheery demeanor. I am not smiling.” That was a lie, because Winter was clearly fighting back a smile. “Shall we?”

“Yes.” Weiss followed her sister, then increased her stride until she was walking alongside. “I missed you, Winter,” she said softly.

Winter let the façade drop. There weren’t too many students around; no one would notice. “I missed you too, Weiss. I’m glad to see you are well…when we heard about the White Fang attack on Menagerie, we were worried.”

“’We’?” Weiss asked sourly.

“Klein, Whitley and myself. And probably Mother, in her own strange way.”

“Whitley was worried?” Weiss asked. Whitley and her had never really gotten along, though as children, they’d been close. In some ways, Weiss had helped raise Whitley as Winter had helped raise Weiss. Willow Schnee was often too debilitated with alcohol to do much, and it had gotten worse after Whitley’s birth. But as they’d gotten older, they’d drifted apart. “I suppose he’s the heir now.”

“He is. Father was…disappointed,” Winter said.

“Wouldn’t ‘utterly enraged’ be the better term?” Weiss snorted. “He was probably hoping the White Fang would kill me, so I would be a martyr.” Winter said nothing; she’d heard that Jacques Schnee had said exactly that. Weiss’ comments on Menagerie had been picked up by the Atlesian media, who despised Jacques. She’d refused any interviews, merely letting her words stand as they were, and out of some loyalty to her siblings. Whitley would have enough problems, and so would Winter.

“Whitley loves you too, Weiss,” Winter said, sadly. If the youngest Schnee had grown apart from Weiss, he’d never been close to Winter to begin with. There was too much of an age gap, and Winter was already beginning her military career when Whitley was old enough to do things with her. Still, Winter knew that, just like their mother, Whitley did care about his older sisters.

“I know,” Weiss sighed.

“Stop sighing in public,” Winter ordered.

“Of course.” They entered Beacon through the high doors of the main entrance. People gave the Schnee sisters a wide berth: though Weiss was beginning to defrost enough to be cordial to other students she’d once ignored, Winter’s icy demeanor caused the students to steer clear of her. Weiss wondered what her sister would think of Team RWBY. Of course, Yang and Ruby were gone at the moment, accompanying Professor Oobleck on a long-range Grimm patrol to Haven; Blake was probably at the library. 

However, even Winter could not dissuade Neptune Vasillas. He walked directly up to Weiss. “Hey there,” he greeted with easy and unmistakable familiarity.

Weiss’ heart sank. She and Neptune were dating now, more or less; they’d gone to lunch and dinner a few times, and he’d even talked her into a Spruce Willis movie. They’d also gone a lot further than mutual self-pleasuring…though that was fun, too, as foreplay. Weiss had no idea how she was going to tell her sister that she was no longer a virgin. “Hello, Neptune,” she said coolly. “Winter, this is my friend Neptune Vasillas—a classmate. We fought together at Menagerie.” That was basically a lie, since Neptune had arrived late to the battle, but Weiss was grasping at straws. “Neptune, this is my older sister, Colonel Winter Schnee.”

Despite Sun Wukong’s insistence that he was, Neptune was not clueless. His demeanor instantly changed. He came to attention and bowed to Winter. “Colonel Schnee. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma’am.”

Winter raised an eyebrow and gave Neptune a glacial stare. “Hello, Mr. Vasillas. Am I to understand you were on Menagerie with my sister?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Neptune kept his reply short and crisp.

“I see. And which team are you with here?”

“Team SSSN, ma’am.”

“Ah. The one that was involved in stopping the White Fang attack in Vacuo.”

Neptune decided that some modesty might not hurt. “Well, not exactly, ma’am. We basically stood around and watched Salem neutralize the White Fang in about, ah, five seconds. But we were there, yes, ma’am.”

Winter nodded. She looked him up and down. “Very good. Carry on, Mr. Vasillas.” She began walking towards the dorm wing. Weiss tried to say she was sorry with her eyes, and hurried to catch up with her sister. Neptune blew out a breath and continued on his way, glad not to spend any more time with the elder Schnee sister, who frankly scared him more than the White Fang. He looked back at the two sisters, wondered just how fast Winter was with her saber, and wondered if he might lose himself in Vale for a few days.

Winter said nothing more until they reached Team RWBY’s dorm. Weiss unlocked the door and opened it, wincing, knowing what was coming next.

Her sister walked into the dorm room. The beds were made, at least: Ruby and Yang usually left theirs a mess, but Weiss had carefully made up both beds; Blake tended to be fastidious, and Weiss was fairly certain a lien could bounce off her covers. Still, there was no disguising the fact that Yang’s bed was held up only with a dangerously unstable-looking stack of books, while Ruby’s bed was roped to a ceiling in a fashion that would make an engineer cry.

Winter walked forward, and much to Weiss’ sinking horror, went straight to Ruby’s bed. She tested the ropes. Ruby, at least, knew how to lash things together. Then Winter looked down at the bed beneath it, then turned back to her sister. “You sleep under this?”

“I do,” Weiss admitted as she closed the door. 

“I knew you liked to live somewhat dangerously, dear sister, but I did not realize you are suicidal.”

“It’s all right,” Weiss said. “It will hold.” It was true, too. Yang and Ruby had both leapt into the bed one night, while Weiss was reading below it. She’d thought she was about to die, but the bed had held, and barely swayed at all. 

“Hmm,” was all Winter replied. She then inspected the other set of beds, then the dorm itself. Weiss had swept and cleaned it, twice, with Blake’s help. “Whose books are these?”

“Blake’s.”

“The Faunus girl?” Winter could not keep the disdain out of her voice.

Weiss was not going to stand for it. “Winter. She is my teammate, and my friend. I ask that you not speak of her in that fashion ever again.”

Winter stared at her sister for a moment, then, to Weiss’ surprise, looked away. “Of course. I apologize for my tone, Weiss.” The younger Schnee almost fell over: Winter almost never apologized for anything. “It’s merely…hard to believe.” Then she _did_ smile, which changed Winter’s entire face. Suddenly she was not the cold Atlesian colonel; she was Weiss’ older sister, the sister that sneaked gingerbread to her late at night, read her fairy tales, protected her from the worst of their father’s wrath and shielded her from their mother’s drunken episodes. “But I suppose that is the world we live in. It takes…time to understand.”

Weiss understood. Old prejudices died hard, and Winter had spent not a small portion of her adult life fighting the White Fang. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Yes. Tea, if you have it.”

Winter sat on Blake’s bed as Weiss made them tea. She poured her sister a cup, along with herself, using Blake’s china, and sat on her own bed, across from her sister. Weiss was careful not to slurp her tea; that was one of Winter’s berserk buttons. “So,” Winter said casually, “that student, Neptune. How long have you two been dating?”

Weiss nearly spit tea all over Winter. “What?”

Winter chuckled. “Please, Weiss. I don’t know if they teach it here at Beacon, but at Atlas one of the required classes is reading your enemy’s body language. Neptune was giving plenty of tells—his casual greeting to you, his sudden shift in demeanor that was clearly meant to throw me off the scent, the way he kept unconsciously moving further away from me. He was hiding something, and my suspicion is that you two are at least seeing each other. And by your surprise and obvious attempt to hide your own feelings, you have just confirmed it.” Winter shook her head and wagged a finger at her sister. “Emotions can grant you strength, but you must never let them overpower you.”

Weiss fought down a sigh. “We have…seen each other.” Then she decided to hell with it: she was her own person, she was not a little girl anymore, and though she loved Winter, she did not have to take orders from her. “We’re dating.”

“Is it serious?”

“We’ve slept together, if that’s what you mean.”

Winter did not react overmuch, merely raising her eyebrows. “And you have used—“

“Of course we have, Winter. I’m not stupid, and despite appearances, neither is Neptune. He’s a good man.” Weiss could not resist rubbing a little salt in the wound. “And a fine lover.” That was true: Weiss found making love to be something that left her without words to describe it. Neptune was the same way. He’d also been discreet. Team RWBY knew, and likely Team SSSN, but it had gone no further than that; Neptune feared for Weiss’ reputation. She might not be the heiress any longer, but she was still a Schnee. 

“That’s good.” Winter sipped her tea. “As long as you are careful, I see no difficulties.”

Weiss was silent. She’d expected Winter to lose her temper; she hadn’t meant to provoke her sister, but neither did she believe in keeping secrets from her. Besides, Winter had just proven that she was quite good at interrogation. There were no questions about Neptune’s breeding, or where he was from, or why Weiss would be sleeping with someone below her class. Weiss herself had learned not to care about such things—Team RWBY had done that—but it still concerned Winter. Or at least she thought it would.

“What’s on your mind, sister?” Winter asked.

“I…I expected you’d disapprove,” Weiss answered.

“I’m not sure if I approve or not. Neptune seems…dorky.” Winter looked a little taken aback to use the colloquialism. “But my approval does not matter. You’re a grown woman, Weiss. Mother and Father may not approve, but they burned their bridges with you long before you came to Beacon.” Then, much to Weiss’ surprise, Winter suddenly smiled again, broadly. “And I would be a hypocrite, as I too find myself with a lover far, _far_ below my class.”

Weiss leaned forward, eager to share a secret with her sister. She’d thought Winter was still a virgin—too devoted to her career to ever consider a lover. “Oh? Tell me, dear sister. Tell me _all.”_

Winter’s smile faded, and she stared at the younger sister. “Weiss Schnee! A lady never kisses and tells.”

Weiss slowly shook her head. “Oh, no, Winter. You’re not getting away with it that easily.” She set down her tea on the dresser. “Who is it?”

Winter’s stare did not waver. “I will not say.”

“A name, Winter.”

Winter looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable. She clearly wanted to tell Weiss. “I…”

“The name, Winter,” Weiss pressed her.

Winter set aside her tea as well. “Fine,” she snapped. Then Weiss saw the red creep up her sister’s neck, to her cheeks. “The name…”

“Spit it out,” Weiss ordered.

“Qrow Branwen,” Winter finally said.

Weiss nearly fell off the bed. “Qrow? Qrow _Branwen?!_ Ruby and Yang’s uncle?”

“The same,” Winter admitted.

“That’s…”

Winter’s smile returned, like the sun breaking up an ice flow. “Insane, yes. But we’ve served together on missions before, and…one thing led to another. We’ve actually been lovers for almost a year now.” She held up a hand. “Yes, he’s about ten years older than me, but it doesn’t matter. He’s a loud, crass, uncultured, foulmouthed buffoon, but—“

“You love him.”

Winter sighed. “I suppose I do. Given that he’s proposed to me, I suppose that is the thing to do.”

“Did you accept?”

The elder Schnee’s boots moved together, something Weiss recognized as extreme nervousness on the part of her sister. “Not yet. I wanted to…well, talk to you first.”

“Get my permission?” Weiss smiled.

“Not necessarily, but…your advice, perhaps.”

Weiss stood, walked three paces to her sister, and sat down next to her. She had a Ruby-like impulse and hugged Winter. “Well, that’s just fine, Winter. Though I’m not sure about him, and that would make me somewhat related by marriage to Ruby and Yang, which is strange, especially the latter, and…” A cold feeling swept over Weiss. “Wait. You’re not pregnant, are you?”

“What? Gods, no!” Winter half-yelled. “Though I suppose if we get married, that would likely happen.”

“It tends to.” Weiss got back up, walked over to the refrigerator, and withdrew two bottles of Sunflower Pop. Neither Schnee sister drank; not after seeing what alcohol did to their mother, but this was close enough. She handed one to her sister, and sat down next to her again. “So let’s talk, Winter.”

Winter clinked her bottle against Weiss’. “Let’s.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if I'm quite done with Summer and Tai, but if so, that's a nice way to end their arc. Raven likely won't be appearing, as I can't really figure out what to do with her; I gave some thought to her dying, which would make Yang the Spring Maiden, but let's face it--that would be way too depressing. 
> 
> And I defintely and unapologetically cribbed a bit from RWBY Chibi. The President needs to use the National Defense Act and order RT to produce another season of that; it's clearly in the national interest.
> 
> So what's the rest of Team RWBY been up to? Well, we'll see...


	41. Epilogue 2: For Your Eyes Only

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Yang go Grimm hunting under the watchful eye of Professor Oobleck, in the farms and fields of Mistral. But when Yang comes back, is Blake all that happy to see her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I changed a little bit of the dialogue between Yang and Blake. BlindSalmon had a point: Yang was getting a little too OOC there. While Yang is nowhere near as mature as she is by later seasons (this is essentially at the beginning of Season 2), and therefore I think she would be still very forward (and a bit selfish) at this point, she was getting a bit too forceful, especially as she knows what Blake went through with Adam. 
> 
> I do try to listen to my readers--one of the reasons why I appreciate reviews so much.

_The Anima Plains_

_Kingdom of Mistral, World of Remnant_

_Two Days Later_

“Go! Go! Go!” shouted Ruby. She and Yang took the fenceline at a run, both leaping over it. As Ruby came down, she leveled Crescent Rose and opened fire on the pack of Beowolves. One went down immediately, its head gone; Yang fired a few shots from Ember Celica, though her shots were more for moral effect than anything else, since she wasn’t aiming.

Then the Grimm were on top of them. Ruby quickly shifted Crescent Rose to its scythe form, spun the weapon and bashed a Beowulf in the head, then leapt over the claw swipe of another. In midair, she slashed downwards, decapitating that Beowulf, and then landing on her feet in a fluttering of rose petals. _I’m getting good at this,_ she thought, grinning to herself. Seeing Yang charging into the midst of the pack, she switched back to rifle mode and put down covering fire.

“Be careful, Miss Rose!” Professor Oobleck charged forward, extending his weapon, Antiquity’s Roast, to its full length and using it to bash in the head of a Grimm. To Ruby’s horror, four more surrounded him, but Oobleck, with a speed that belied the fact he was older than Ruby's father, took them all down with a single sweep of his weapon. He didn’t kill the Beowolves, but he took them off their feet, making them less of a threat.

Yang used Ember Celica to leap forward, and slammed a knee into a Grimm, knocking it backwards. Another charged her; she brought up her gauntlets and blasted it into oblivion. 

“Yang! Look out!” Ruby shouted. Yang spun, only to be slammed to the ground by the Beowulf she had kneed. As it leapt onto her, she brought up both feet, stopped its leap, and kicked it away. It flew through the wall of a barn. 

Ruby ran forward, blasting two more Grimm as Yang got to her feet. Then the sisters switched places: Ruby spun Crescent Rose back into a scythe, while Yang held back and covered her with Ember Celica. Ruby cut one Beowulf in half, took the legs off of another, and then spun to engage the third, only to get punched in the face by the Beowulf. She lost her grip on Crescent Rose, but brought her arms up against its throat, keeping its jaws from her. 

“Stay away from my little sister, fucker!” Yang screamed, slammed Ember Celica against the Beowulf’s head, and blew it apart. Ruby’s ears rang with the explosion, and she scrambled to get Crescent Rose back even as Yang dropped yet another Beowulf. As Ruby got to her feet, she realized the Grimm were all gone: Oobleck finished the last ones off. 

“Whew!” Ruby puffed. Her fingers shook with adrenaline. 

Yang reloaded Ember Celica. “That was fun.” Ruby wasn’t sure if she was serious or not. She turned to Ruby. “You okay, Rubes?”

Ruby rubbed her cheek and her hand came away bloody. “Damn. I guess that last one got through my Aura.”

Yang inspected it closer. “It’s a cut. Not too bad.”

Oobleck walked up to them, using Antiquity’s Roast like a walking stick. “Very good, ladies! However, I would caution you in running directly into the midst of a Grimm pack. It’s better to work on the flanks and collapse those. And watch your language, Miss Xiao Long.” He looked over Ruby’s wound. “We need to check on the owners of this farm—see if they’ll provide some water for that wound, Ruby. You don’t know where that Grimm’s claws have been. Yang, go with her and I’ll check the perimeter for any stragglers.”

“Yes, sir,” Ruby replied. Neither of the sisters had a particularly high opinion of Oobleck as a fighter, until they’d gone on this week-long mission to Mistral; that had most definitely changed their minds. Starting at Haven Academy, they’d been fighting Grimm packs just about every other day—apparently the Grimm hadn’t gotten the memo that there was peace in the lands. If anything, they seemed more aggressive. Still, between the three of them, they hadn’t picked up more than a few cuts and bruises. 

They walked to the farmhouse, a small, single-story place. An older woman came onto the covered porch, a double-barreled shotgun in her hands. “You Huntresses?” she barked at them.

“That’s us,” Yang said, wondering if the old woman was about to order them off her lawn.

She shouldered the shotgun. “Obliged to you. Those Beowolves have been sniffing around here for a day or two. Just went after our crops, but it was a matter of time before they went after us. Have you seen my nephew?” Both sisters shook their heads. “Probably still in the barn.”

“Oh sh—“ Yang caught herself just in time. There was a Beowulf sized hole in the side of the barn. She ran in that direction, yelling over her shoulder. “I’ll check on him!”

“He’s probably fine,” the old woman said. “Oscar has better sense than to get tied in with a bunch of Grimm. His room’s pretty secure. Still…glad you were here.” She saw the blood running down Ruby’s cheek, and clicked her tongue. “C’mon in, young miss. Let me look at that for you.”

They went into the farmhouse, which was pretty much exactly what Ruby had expected: a simple house with a large, homely living room that reminded her of her parents’ place, a kitchen with a single round table and checkered tablecloth, and a hallway that ran to two other rooms. The woman told Ruby to take a chair, went into the back, and came back with a box of bandages and a brown bottle. She grabbed a rag, dabbed the contents of the bottle into it, and sat down next to Ruby. “Iodine,” she said. “Might sting a little.”

“Thanks,” Ruby said, then winced as it _did_ sting. “I appreciate it, Miss…um…”

“Pine,” the woman said. “Verdant Pine.” She patted the wound. “Hmm. Well, looks like it’s already clotting up, but I don’t want to put a bandage on it. No offense, young miss, but you’re filthy.”

Ruby smiled. They hadn’t had a chance at a decent bath or shower since they’d left Haven, having to settle for a wet rag to wipe the more smelly parts of their bodies. Still, they’d only have to endure it for another day: this was their last fight of the field trip, and they’d fly back to Beacon tomorrow. “Yeah, sorry. We’ve been moving kind of fast.”

Pine thumbed back towards the hallway. “Well, hell, miss. Why don’t you use my shower? While you do that, I’ll whip up some lemonade for the three of you, and pull some strawberry pie out of the icebox. It’s the least I can do.”

Ruby shrugged. A hot shower sounded glorious right now. “Miss Pine, you talked me into it.”

“Towels are in the closet.” Pine showed her the way, and closed the door behind her. Ruby set aside Crescent Rose, and stripped down in the little bathroom. She did a quick inspection of her body, and didn’t like what she saw. Besides the cut on her face, there was a spreading bruise on her thigh, and another smaller one on her butt. She smelled an armpit and wrinkled her nose. Making sure her weapon was within arm’s reach, she climbed into the shower and turned it on, adjusting it until scalding hot water cascaded down over her. “Oh, yeah,” Ruby sighed happily. “That’s the stuff.” She soaped up, scrubbed down, and even was able to use some of Miss Pine’s shampoo. After ten minutes, she shut off the water, though she wanted to stay in there a lot longer. Yang and Oobleck might want showers as well, and she doubted the farm had a great deal of hot water.

Ruby grabbed a towel and went to work drying her face and hair first, careful not to open the cut up, but it already had stopped hurting. She heard muffled voices, including a male one, and guessed Yang and Oobleck, and maybe that nephew Miss Pine had talked about, were back. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of lemonade and strawberry pie, two of her weaknesses. As she vigorously toweled her hair, she thought she heard the old woman yell, “No, Oscar! Don’t go in there!”

Before Ruby could do anything else, the bathroom door opened. In walked a young man, about her age, perhaps a year younger. His filthy white shirt was balled in one hand, while orange suspenders hung down around khaki pants. He stopped cold at the sight of Ruby, and the two stared at each other for a moment. Ruby’s mouth went dry: not only was the guy cute, with black hair, depthless green eyes, and adorable freckles, but bare to the waist, he showed the results of a lifetime working hard on a farm: a hard stomach, well-defined pectorals, skinny but still-there biceps. He was no Sun Wukong, but as far as Ruby was concerned, he had it where it counted. 

Suddenly, she remembered she was completely naked, her slim, pale body on full display, from her small breasts to the smooth pubic mound—on the advice of her mother, she’d shaved her groin; Summer knew from experience that parasites loved pubic hair to nest in, on long missions where bathing was a luxury. And that was exactly where the boy’s eyes were riveted, at the slit between her legs.

Ruby wasn’t sure whether to scream, to hurl the towel in his face, to pick up Crescent Rose and shoot him, or let him keep staring. Luckily, he solved the problem for her. “Oh gods!” he yelled, slamming the door as he fled the bathroom. “I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Late the next day, Yang was still chortling about it as they rode the airship back to Beacon. “I really should’ve pummeled the little bastard into paste,” she snorted, “but it was just too funny.”

Ruby ignored her, as she had most of the trip. Yang had kept saying she had _meant_ to kill this Oscar Pine, but she sure hadn’t shown it at the farmhouse, spending most of their night there giggling about her sister being seen naked by a complete stranger. “Oh, ha ha,” Ruby said flatly. “So damn funny. Some big sister _you_ are.”

“Hey, it was partially your fault for not locking the door,” Yang said.

“And it would’ve been poor manners to murder the young man,” Oobleck put in. He was sitting ahead of them in the airship's cabin. “Given that the Pine family gave us shelter that night, and fed us.”

Ruby fought down the impulse to tell Oobleck to shove it up his ass, but such student-instructor exchanges were frowned upon at Beacon. “Little shit,” she growled, though Oscar had actually been slightly taller than her. “I should’ve shot him.”

“We were just talking about murder, Miss Rose,” Oobleck said.

Yang leaned forward towards her sister and dropped her voice. “You know, there was a noticeable gap between that Pine kid walking into the bathroom and him hauling ass out of it.”

“I already told you he saw pretty much everything, Yang,” Ruby snarled. “He didn’t see my ass, but he saw everything else.”

“Uh-huh. And why didn’t you yell ‘get out’ or scream or shoot him?” Yang wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “He had his shirt off, and for a teenager, he was pretty cut.” She nudged Ruby. “Huh? C’mon, Rubes, I heard your ovaries popping from the kitchen.”

“Kiss my butt, Yang.”

“That would be incest.” Yang sat back in her seat, satisfied. Ruby had turned a deep shade of red. _Oh yes,_ Yang grinned to herself, _she liked that kid._

About an hour later, after landing, a too-long debriefing from Oobleck, and the walk back to the dorms, Ruby and Yang finally reached their dorm. Ruby put Crescent Rose in the weapons rack next to hers and Weiss’ bunk, and climbed into hers, collapsing onto her pillow. With the exception of the farmhouse—and even then, they’d slept on the floor—she hadn’t been in a proper bed in a week. 

“Where’s Weiss and Blake?” Yang wanted to know.

“Who cares?” Ruby mumbled. She just wanted to sleep. Or die from embarrassment. One of the two.

Yang heard the shower running, then noticed a note on the sideboard. It was in Weiss’ crisp and elegant handwriting. “Huh. Weiss’ sister is here. They went to the library. That means…” Yang slowly smiled, the same smile a fox would get realizing the henhouse was unguarded. “Oh ho.” She glanced up at Ruby, but her sister was already sound asleep.

Yang quickly stripped down to her underwear, then crept into the bathroom. She opened it as silently as possible. She reached up and pulled off her top, but then Blake said, “Hi, Yang. Welcome back.”

“How did you know it was me?”

“Duh! I have four ears, you know. Ruby’s tread is lighter and Weiss would’ve knocked. You need to use the bathroom? I just got in, so I can jump out real fast if you need me to.”

Yang slipped off her panties, and opened the shower. “Not necessary, Blake,” she purred, and climbed into the shower. The dorm shower wasn’t very big, but apparently whoever had built Beacon had anticipated something like this: it just fit two people, if they were friendly. And Yang intended to get _very_ friendly. “Hey there.”

Blake wiped water out of her eyes. “Yang, what are you doing?”

“What’s it look like?” Yang licked her lips hungrily. “Remember when I said you didn’t have to reciprocate? I lied.”

“Yang, I—“ Yang closed the short distance between them and kissed her. Blake resisted at first, but then relaxed. Their bodies were pressed together, slick with water, which made it more fun. Yang’s hands fell to Blake’s rear and squeezed it. The Faunus gave a little sort of yelp, and Yang took advantage of slipping her tongue between those lips. 

Blake let her explore for a moment, then pulled back. “Yang,” she whispered, breathing hard, “we shouldn’t do this.”

“Why not?” Yang’s fingers probed down the cleft of Blake’s backside, and rubbed herself against her battle partner. “I even shaved for you, Blakey, and I don’t just do that for anyone.” Actually, Yang had shaved her pubic hair off for the same reason Ruby had, but Blake didn’t need to know that. 

“Yang, please,” Blake pleaded, “we need to stop.”

Yang’s smile faded. “Are you sure?" Blake nodded, looking away, her ears flattening back. "Yes. I'm sorry." Yang stepped back. “Nah, Blake, I’m the one who's sorry. Dammit. I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I was thinking with my clit. I thought you were just playing…fuck.” Yang stepped back out of the shower. “Gods, Blake. I shouldn’t have done that. I'll leave you alone.“

Blake motioned her back in the shower. “Get back in here and pull the curtain before we flood the bathroom. We’ll shower together, Yang, because honestly, you really need one.” That was true, Yang reflected; the Pine household had run out of hot water after Oobleck had showered, and Yang made do with a quick birdbath. “But that’s all we’ll do.”

Yang did as she was told, and Blake handed her the soap. “Blake, really. I’m sorry. I was being really selfish there. I guess I thought…that you’d want to fool around too.”

“And I might have, Yang,” Blake told her. “If you’d asked rather than just jump my bones.” She got the shampoo out. “Here, hold still. I’ll get this damn mane of yours.” She began soaping up Yang’s hair. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about this anyway. We really haven’t had time since we got back from Menagerie.”

“Yeah. It’s been driving me nuts,” Yang said. 

“Where do you want to go with this, Yang? And don’t say you love me. We don’t love each other.” Blake paused. “Okay, that sounded harsh. Sorry. We like each other a lot, but—“

“No, you’re right,” Yang agreed. “We’re friends. I guess I figured we were friends with benefits.” She leaned back to let Blake rinse her hair off. “I’m not going to try and tie you down, Blake. Like I told you, I’m omnisexual and just wanted to have fun.”

“I swear that’s not a word.” Blake had been meaning to look it up. “I’m all for having fun, Yang, but…” She sighed. “I just don’t know. You’re my friend, Yang—my best friend. I don’t want to screw it all up by becoming lovers.”

“What about Menagerie?” Yang asked.

Blake lathered up the soap and washed Yang’s back. That was a good question. Blake had two sexual partners in her young life, and one of them was standing in front of her. True, it had been a one night thing; the Lust Wave didn't count. _Do I want it to be more?_ Blake asked herself. There was no question that Yang was sexy as hell; the woman just exuded it. Yang was charismatic, fun, cheerful, and possessed with a joy of life that was infectious. Blake didn’t think she was a lesbian or even bisexual, but there had been one part of her that hadn’t wanted Yang to stop. Probably if she’d had more warning, rather than Yang trying to seduce her with all the tact and romance of a rhinoceros in heat, she might have been more receptive. 

“Is it because I’m another girl?” Yang was worried by Blake’s silence. Yang admitted to herself that pleasuring Blake on Menagerie was out of one part friendship, one part curiosity, and one part wondering if the Lust Wave had actually simply made the two of them more honest about their true feelings. “I mean, finding out that I’m bi was pretty surprising to me, too.”

“Yang, if it was Weiss…would you sleep with her?” She washed off the soap from Yang’s back. 

“Turn around. My turn to wash your hair.” Yang began shampooing Blake’s hair. It was a lot easier to manage than hers. She thought about it. Weiss wasn’t hard on the eyes, certainly, even if she was lacking in certain areas that Blake wasn’t. But while Yang remembered a naked Weiss skinnydipping, there was no desire for the former heiress. Weiss was a good friend, but there was no “there” there, like there was for Blake. “No, I don’t think I would. I guess if she really needed some comfort, I might do it…”

“A pity fuck, then?”

Yang stopped washing Blake’s hair. “Blake, if you think I pity fucked you on Menagerie, then you really don’t know me.”

“Sorry.” Blake felt bad about saying it now. 

“So maybe I’m just bi for you. I mean, I can’t really visualize banging Weiss, or Coco, or Pyrrha.” Yang considered it. “Well, maybe Pyrrha. She’s kinda hot.” Blake looked over her shoulder, and saw Yang was grinning. “Just kidding. I just…shit, I don’t know. I really like you.”

“And I really like you. Watch the ears.” Yang was getting a little liberal with the shower hose. When she was done, Blake turned to her friend. “Yang, listen. I just don’t know either. Part of me thinks you’d be a fun lover—and I’ve never thought about any other girls either. And part of me just doesn’t want to fuck up another relationship.”

“Adam fucked that up, not you,” Yang said.

“It takes two people to have a relationship,” Blake told her, “and two people to screw one up. Yes, Adam bears most of the responsibility. But I’ve thought about the things I could’ve done, over the past few weeks. For one thing, I should’ve left him a lot sooner. Instead, I kept trying to save what couldn’t be saved.” She touched Yang’s cheek. “You’re not like him, Yang. That’s why it pissed me off to see you act like him, even a little. I’m not worried that you’ll be like Adam. But I can’t just…I can’t just hop into bed with you without thinking it might be a giant mistake.”

“I understand,” Yang said, a little sadly. She _did_ understand. Blake had been through a lot, and was still healing. Maybe she needed a friend right now, not so much a lover. “Well…okay. But I tell you what. If you want to…I’ll be here. If you don’t, or you decide to bang Sun, that’s okay too.”

“We had lunch, Yang! That’s all!” Blake laughed.

“Yeah, I saw you checking out his butt. You’re wondering what he did to Salem and how he fucked the evil out of her.”

Blake rolled her eyes. “Yang…”

“Tell you what. If you bang Sun, call me up. I’d be down for a threesome. Totally down with that.”

“Oh gods. You’re incorrigible.”

“Whatever _that_ means.” Yang soaped herself up, which Blake, to her dismay, found was a lot more erotic than she thought. “Nah, really, Blake. We’ll just be…us. And figure it out as we go along.” She washed off, and winked at the Faunus. “Okay?”

“Okay. That’s fair.” She took the shower from Yang and rinsed off. “Anything interesting happen on your field trip?”

“Rubes found a boyfriend.” She told Blake the story as Blake shut off the shower and they got out. Blake giggled. “Yeah, that sounds like Ruby.”

“That kid has the worst luck sometimes.” Yang checked her hair in the mirror and fluffed it out. 

“Yang?” Blake asked quietly.

“Yep.”

Blake reached out, turned Yang around, and kissed her. No tongue, no groping, just a kiss of someone who cared very much about someone else. “Thank you for understanding. And thank you for being my friend.”

Yang hugged Blake. “And thanks for being mine, too.” The hug continued. They stood there. Blake started to squirm, and Yang, with a laugh, let her go. “Just wanted to see how long I could hug you before it got awkward.”

“About five seconds.” Blake pointed at Yang’s crotch. “No offense, but you’re a bit stubbly down there. It was scratchy.”

“Yeah. Probably let it grow out some. Feels weird. I feel nakeder.” Yang picked up her underclothes.

“Definitely not a word.” Blake hung up the towels and wrapped a clean one around herself. Yang tucked her underthings under an arm and opened the bathroom door. “Um, Yang? Aren’t you going to put something on?”

“Why? Ruby’s asleep and you’ve seen everything.” Yang walked into the dorm room, and stopped. 

Staring back at her was a taller, more severe version of Weiss. The actual Weiss stood behind her sister, eyes covered with one hand. Winter Schnee raised an arctic eyebrow. “Winter,” Weiss sighed, “this is Yang Xiao Long, my…teammate.”

Winter said nothing, so Yang balled up her underwear, made a nice three-point shot into the clothes hamper over Winter’s head, and brushed past the elder Schnee. “’Sup. Nice meeting you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Oscar's aunt is never named in the series, I had to make up a name for her. I also made her maybe a little friendlier than she was (it's been awhile since I watched those episodes). Yep, total setup, but now Ruby has met Oscar Pine. The red string of destiny (and fanfic authors) made sure of that.
> 
> Yang and Blake were a little tougher. I really don't see them as lovers at this point in the series--if you're a Bumblebee fan, I really think that love doesn't truly happen until Yang is hurt, Blake runs, and the eventual fight with Adam. That hasn't happened in this series, so it's more Yang just being lusty and Blake being unsure of herself. 
> 
> What's next? We have at least two more chapters left, maybe three. Yep, time for some Arkos action...and what did happen to Tyrian?


	42. Epilogue 3: Riders On the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyrrha Nikos, the new Fall Maiden, goes for a walk in the woods around Beacon with Nora Valkyrie, who has something to say. But when they meet with Jaune, Pyrrha decides that she has something to say--and do--as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, there was going to be some Tyrian Callows in this, as we figure out what Salem did with him. But then I decided, nah--he and Watts will get their own chapter. This one is pure, unadulterated, smexy Arkos.

_Beacon Academy_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_The Next Afternoon_

“So what’s it like?” Nora asked Pyrrha. 

That was a good question, Pyrrha reflected. It had been a few weeks now since she’d become the Fall Maiden. Those weeks, she had been excused from class, mainly for fear that, still unused to her powers, she’d accidentally hurt someone. The excuse given to the other students was that Pyrrha had gotten some sort of virus. It hadn’t been long before Ren and Nora learned the truth, however: they were Pyrrha’s teammates, and she could never keep it from such good friends. Nora had suggested that they get some fresh air, so the two women walked around the perimeter of the academy. 

“It’s hard to describe,” Pyrrha replied at length. “Most of the time, I feel pretty much the same.” She pulled a coin from the small purse attached to her belt, and threw it into the air. Then she held out her hand, there was the softest of hums, and the coin stopped above her hand, and hovered there as they walked. It was Pyrrha’s Semblance, and Nora had seen her do the trick several times. “But when I need to use the Maiden power…” Her eyes flared orange, and the coin started zipping around them, doing loops and climbs, before dropping back into her hand. “And that’s the least I can do.”

Nora shook her head in wonder. “Must be weird, being a goddess.”

“I’m not,” Pyrrha insisted. “Just…a really powerful person. Goddesses can’t die, but my predecessors all have. Most violently.” She looked at her boots. “I’m sorry. I’ve got a big target on my back now, Nora. I’m probably endangering Team JNPR.”

“Bullpoop,” Nora said. “We got your back. Though I guess this means you can’t participate in the Vytal Festival now.”

Pyrrha chuckled. “That would probably be wise. People think the Maidens are legends, and we should try to keep it that way.”

“Anything else you can do besides coin tricks?” Nora wanted to know.

“Fly. Make the wind pick up. Charge my weapons up. Survive falls from the top of Beacon Tower.” She’d discovered that accidentally in the one time she and Jaune had tried to spar again. “And sense things. I can expand my senses. It’s really something.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes. I can…” Pyrrha closed her eyes, and concentrated. Even though there was no breeze, she could feel the passage of air the two women left as they walked. She could tell there was an anthill three paces to the right, by sensing the movement of the ants. She could hear a Bullhead approaching, although it was not in sight. And she could sense Nora’s heartbeat—

“Oh!” Pyrrha exclaimed, stopping.

“What?” Nora said, looking concerned.

Pyrrha smiled at her friend. “Well…I just sensed your heartbeat, Nora, but it’s weird, because I…well…there’s two sets of heartbeats.”

Nora grinned. “Probably because I’m preggers. That was why I dragged you out here.”

“You and Ren?”

Nora laughed. “It _better_ be Ren!”

Pyrrha hugged her friend. “Oh, congratulations, Nora! Does Ren know?”

“We found out this morning. Guess all that puking I’ve been doing hasn’t been from the crappy lunchroom food. I guess I’m about a month along.”

“But being a student at Beacon…”

Nora shrugged. “Meh! We’ll work it out. I mean, yeah, we should’ve been more careful, but Ruby’s folks pulled it off, right?” Pyrrha nodded, not wanting to mention that Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long had graduated before Ruby had come along. “I guess I’ll talk to Ozpin about it soon, but like I said, we’ll figure it out. We should’ve been more careful, but ah well.” She nudged Pyrrha. “And the kiddo will have the most powerful godmother ever!”

Pyrrha let her go, happy for her friends. A pregnant Nora _would_ complicate their training at Beacon, but she and Ren always seemed to find their own way somehow. And she’d help out anyway she could—and now Pyrrha could help a lot.

They turned through the little park at the edge of Beacon, and saw Jaune and Ren walking towards them. Nora waved. “Hey, guys! What are you doing out here?”

“Looking for you,” Ren replied. “We were going to grab some dinner.”

“Oh hell yeah!” Nora cheered. “I’m hungry enough to eat a skunk’s butt sauteed in snot!” Everyone _but_ Nora turned a little green at that. 

“Why don’t you go ahead?” Pyrrha suggested. “I wanted to talk to Jaune a bit.”

“Sure,” Ren said, and took Nora’s hand. The couple began to walk away, and Nora turned, looked over her shoulder, and winked at her friend.

“What’s up?” Jaune asked. 

“Let’s…go sit down.” Pyrrha led him deeper into the woods, where they found a little clearing beneath a tree with low branches. They sat down. “Jaune…” Pyrrha began, but found her throat closing up. “Did you…did you know that Nora is pregnant?” It wasn't what she wanted to say, but she needed to break the ice somehow.

“ _What?”_ Jaune stood, banged his head on a branch, swore, and was pulled back down by Pyrrha. “When?”

“Probably a month ago,” Pyrrha answered. “I’m sure she was going to tell you at dinner tonight. She and Ren found out this morning.”

“Geez. They couldn’t wait, huh? Man, Ozpin’s going to be pissed.”

Pyrrha laughed. “Oh, I don’t know. They _are_ going to be married soon. Children come along someday, you know.” Then she turned somber. Could she ever have children? Children with golden-red hair? Or would her powers keep her from ever conceiving? Amber had made love with many men, and never once become pregnant. Maybe the Maiden powers rendered their bearers sterile.

Jaune hesitantly reached out and took her hand. “What’s on your mind, Pyrrha?”

She sighed. “Us. Us, Jaune.” She leaned against the tree, stretching out her long legs. “Where do we want to go from here? I’m not talking about marriage or children for us—we’re nowhere near that stage. The most we’ve done is just sort of…play around. I want to do more, but…do you still want me, Jaune?”

He sat in front of her. “Sure. I mean, if you still want _me_.”

_More than anything,_ she thought. “But…I’m not Pyrrha Nikos anymore. I’m the Fall Maiden.”

Jaune smiled at her, which came close to breaking her heart. “Pyrrha, I don’t care how powerful you are. I didn’t even care that you’re the ‘Invincible Girl of Mistral.’ You’ll always be Pyrrha. You’re my best friend, you’re my girlfriend, and if you want, you’re my lover. And maybe someday…we can be more than that, if you want.” He touched her cheek. “I’m not much, Pyr. Just a guy who cheated his way into Beacon and tried not to be Remnant’s biggest screwup. You saw something in me that _I_ didn’t see in myself. So I don’t care if you’re the Fall Maiden or not. You’re my friend.”

Pyrrha’s eyes were misting. “Oh, gods, Jaune. You’re _my_ friend. You’ll always be my friend.” And she reached out, gripped his cheeks lightly, and kissed him. “I love you, Jaune.” The words fell from her lips involuntarily, but they were true.

Jaune put his head against hers. “I love you too, Pyrrha.” He kissed her cheeks, tasting the salt of her tears. Then he kissed her again, because Pyrrha Nikos was the most beautiful girl in Remnant, and they loved each other.

They kissed more, hands traveling down each other’s backs, the kiss deepening, shutting out the world around them. Finally, breathing hard, they parted. Pyrrha looked down and smiled at the obvious bulge in Jaune’s pants. “Well,” she whispered, “should we take it to the next level, then?”

“Are you sure?” Jaune asked.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, Jaune.” 

Jaune was in his school uniform; Pyrrha, since she hadn’t been in class and with a vague notion of working out after dinner, was in her battle outfit. As he kissed her neck, his hands were undoing her sash. “Hold on,” Pyrrha said with a smile. “You want to see something neat?”

He got her sash off and started working his fingers beneath her skirt and panties. “I’m about to,” he murmured. Jaune had been surprised that Pyrrha brought out a Yang-like smartass side to him. 

“No, silly. Here…Amber told me about this.” Pyrrha gently pushed his hands away, stood up, and closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. Jaune resisted taking a step back: seeing the flames dancing around her eyes was still a little frightening. She reached out with her right hand. His tie unraveled itself from its knot and fell free, followed by the buttons popping off his shirt, his belt becoming unbuckled, and his pants unbuttoning and unzipping. He held up a hand as he felt her beginning to work on his boxers. “Uh, I better get those.” He took his shirt off—wondering how they were going to get back to Beacon with his shirt basically useless now—got shoes and socks off, then took off his boxers. While he stood there nude, Pyrrha quickly stripped off her own clothes. “Sorry,” she smiled. “I haven’t figured out how to use my powers on my own clothes yet.”

They stared at each other for a moment, taking in each other’s bodies. It was no secret anymore, but both were still a little shy, and more than a little aroused, by seeing the other naked. “Do you—“ Jaune began.

“Do you—“ Pyrrha said at the same time. Then they stopped, and laughed. “Who wants to go first?”

“I suppose we should try some…foreplay first? I mean, you’re probably not ready yet—“

Pyrrha stepped forward, grabbed one of Jaune’s hands—surprised at her own boldness—and put it between her legs. She was very wet. “I think I’m ready, Jaune.” Her heart was thudding in her ears, and she was already breathing like she’d just worked out. _Gods,_ she thought, _I want him in me._ Then she blushed, taken aback by the lewdness of her thoughts. 

“I guess…okay.” He grabbed their clothes and spread them out on the ground, then sat down. “You want to be on top?”

“I think so.” She knelt next to him, then glanced down at his erection, throbbing and insistent. She hesitantly reached out and touched it, watching as it twitched at her touch. 

“Hold up.” Jaune went through his clothes, found his wallet, and pulled out a condom. 

“Oh, smart thinking.” While Pyrrha had wondered if Fall Maidens could have children, there was no point chancing having two pregnant women in the team. She took the foil package from him, gently tore it open, and pulled out the latex ring while he stretched out, trying to make it easier. “Here, let me.” Pyrrha hoped she could figure it out; sex education in Mistral had been embarrassing for her, feeling all the glances in her direction—and one didn’t need Maiden powers to realize that there were a lot of males, and probably a few females, who wanted to “practice” with her. She’d been an early bloomer. It had bothered her, but now nothing bothered her. Jaune could practice all he wanted. She quickly figured it out, and unrolled it over his penis. Pyrrha inspected her handiwork. “I think that’s right.”

“Feels right,” Jaune agreed. “Okay…ready?”

“Yes,” Pyrrha said. Carefully, she straddled him, putting her hands on his shoulders. Jaune guided himself into her, as she slowly slid down. “Oh,” she blurted, as she felt him enter her. It hurt a little; she expected to see blood, since this was her first time, after all, but there was none. Jaune was letting her set the pace, and eventually, he was all the way in. 

Pyrrha blinked. It felt strange. They’d been heading for this moment since the first time they’d met, on that first day at Beacon, and now that it was here, she wanted to experience it all. He was in her, filling her, and it felt…weird. It wasn’t really painful; there was kind of a vague ache, but that was all. She knew from reading stories (most of them shyly, secretly borrowed from Blake), that it was supposed to feel wonderful and beautiful, and she half expected chimes or something. There were no chimes, just the sounds of the forest and the distant sounds of Beacon, and she wasn’t sure if it felt wonderful or not. 

“Is it okay?” Jaune asked. For his part, it felt incredible. Pyrrha wasn’t built like a bodybuilder, but she was muscular, and that extended to inside her. Her walls were gripping him, and he hoped he could last.

“Mm-hmm. Just kind of…I don’t know how to describe it.”

Jaune tried an experimental thrust. Pyrrha squeaked, and he stopped. Then she nodded at him, and he tried again. “Okay?” he asked again.

“It’s okay.” Pyrrha felt a little pleasure, but it still wasn’t quite what she’d expected. It wasn’t Jaune, she didn’t think; maybe it was her. Maybe she’d built this moment up too much. 

Then she had an idea. “Jaune, can I try something? I promise I won’t hurt you or anything, but…just want to try something.”

“Sure.” 

Pyrrha once more closed her eyes. She cleared her thoughts, as she would before battle, and felt her body suffuse with the Maiden power. She felt her knees on the cloth, the different types of cloth, from the rough fabric of her skirt to the denim of his pants to the soft fabric of her sash. She could feel the warmth of his body against her, and smelled the fresh air and the ever-so-faint smells of the food from the dining room, as well as the pine trees around them. There was no one around that she could sense, which was good, and she could sense…

_Oh,_ Pyrrha thought. _Oh…oh, my._

She could sense Jaune so much now. The slight intake of breath, the whorls of his fingertips on her waist as he held her, the coarse hairs against her own where their bodies met, his heartbeat through his…Pyrrha’s eyes opened, orange flames bursting from them. She could feel _everything,_ every inch of him, every throb, every vein, even the little ribs in the condom that were indeed there for her pleasure _._ “J-Jaune…I think…I think…oh…”

And then, with a gasp, Pyrrha came.

Jaune couldn’t believe it: they’d barely done anything. If anything, he expected _he’d_ be the one to lose it, unable to hold back at the sheer feeling of being inside her. Instead, it was Pyrrha, eyes wide, the red and orange curling around them, her breathing coming out in little gasps, her hands twitching in the clothes. There was no doubt what was happening to her, though; Jaune was so stunned at the fact that he’d brought his girlfriend to orgasm without really doing anything that he just lay there as she shuddered. Finally, she collapsed on him, her breasts pressing into his chest. “Um…Pyr?”

“I’m…all right,” she got out. “Jaune, I used the Maiden powers, and…I can’t describe it. I…wow.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Jaune hugged her. “That’s great!”

“Mmm.” Then she levered herself up and smiled down at him. “But you didn’t, did you?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay, then.” She tried to tamp down her powers, otherwise she was probably going to lose her mind. No _wonder_ Amber had been promiscious. Just as haltingly as Jaune, she tried moving herself up and down him. He responded, and soon they were moving against each other, as it should be. His hands grabbed at her breasts, and Pyrrha leaned forward to give him access. She found herself laughing at the sheer pleasure of it all. This was the way it was supposed to be. 

Her laughter faded however, because Jaune was now thrusting away into her, groaning, his hands moving from her breasts to her rear, gripping it like she was a life preserver and he was drowning. Pyrrha, to her surprise, found the glowing ember in her stomach start growing into a fireball, and she knew she wasn’t going to last much longer either. By herself, Pyrrha had considered herself lucky to get herself off, but she’d never orgasmed more than once. Now it was happening again, and she didn’t know if it was supposed to be like this with someone you loved, or yet another fringe benefit of being a Maiden.

“Pyrrha…not…” Jaune was gritting his teeth, trying to hold back and knowing he couldn’t.

“Jaune…ah, Jaune…” Pyrrha grabbed at her own breasts, then at her hair, her fingers needing to go somewhere. Ecstasy shot up her body from her groin and seemed to hit her brain in waves. “Ah, Jaune!”

Jaune looked up at her as Pyrrha was now riding him with total abandon. The sight of her, her breasts bouncing up and down gently, her lips parted, just the hint of flames escaping from her mostly-closed eyes, her hands bringing her red hair up to fall in wild waves across her shoulders—that would be more than any man could take, and Jaune was no exception. “Pyrrha!” he shouted, gave one last thrust, and came within her.

If just feeling Jaune in her was enough to bring Pyrrha to orgasm, then the feeling of him spasming inside of her was enough to send her over the edge again—way over the edge. She let out a scream of passion, which the one part of her brain that was still working wondered at, since she’d always been kind of quiet during this sort of thing. Thunder rolled over Beacon, causing students to look up at a suddenly clouding sky, as gray rainclouds moved in from Vale, and lightning shimmered across the sky. Rain fell, but it was gone as soon as it started, the clouds moving away and dissipating.

Pyrrha used the last of her strength to pull herself off Jaune and collapse next to him. Neither could speak; they just lay there and puffed, getting their breath back. “Wow,” Jaune croaked out.

“I know…right?” She pushed sweaty hair out of her eyes. “I hope it’s not like that every time.”

“Why not?” Jaune felt like he could die a very happy man at the moment.

“Because we’ll never get anything done!” Pyrrha giggled, which grew into laughter. She’d never laughed after sex—not by herself, or the fumbling sessions with Jaune before this—but she’d also never felt so alive before. 

_Wow, you guys put on a show._ It was all Pyrrha could do not to suddenly jump at the sound of Amber’s voice.

It had been there before, sometimes faint and barely understandable, other times as clear as if she was sitting beside Pyrrha. She knew that Amber was part of her conscious now, and in training with the Maiden powers, or even just sitting in her bed, the former Fall Maiden would give her advice, guide her, and sometimes just talk to her. Amber, probably sensing Pyrrha’s shyness, had been all business. _Amber?_ Pyrrha asked herself.

_Hee. I told you. Gotta work on your powers, though. You summoned a thunderstorm, missy. That could be bad._ The voice was silent for a moment. _You really do love him._

_I do. I love him dearly._

_I never loved anyone like that._ Somehow, Pyrrha could sense Amber smiling. _Others have, though. Keep that love alive, Pyrrha. Love makes good Maidens great. I think you’ll go far, kid._

_Thank you,_ Pyrrha said silently.

_No problem. Now. Grab his wanger and start licking it. He’s a young man; he’ll get hard in no time. Then we can do it…and there’s someone coming. Besides you two._

Pyrrha turned over and saw a flash of blond hair through the woods. “Oh no.” She grabbed his shirt and threw it over Jaune’s groin, then tried to cover her rear end with her sash, which was less successful. In any case, there was no hiding what they’d been doing.

Glynda Goodwitch stopped at the edge of the clearing, riding crop tapping against her thigh. “Pyrrha Nikos. Jaune Arc. I would ask what you two have been doing, if it wasn’t completely obvious.”

Jaune stood, waving his hands. “Miss Goodwitch! I can explain!” Suddenly, he realized he was giving the second-highest ranking instructor at Beacon an eyeful.

Glynda merely raised an eyebrow. “Mister Arc. No explanations are necessary.” She motioned with the crop at his penis. “You might want to take off that.” Jaune looked down; he was still wearing the condom. “Dispose of it properly.”

Pyrrha stayed down. “Miss Goodwitch, I’m sorry. The storm—I didn’t mean—“

Glynda sighed. “Next time be more discreet, Miss Nikos. While we can hardly prevent students from engaging in sexual activity, we prefer that students show some discretion…especially when they are newly minted Fall Maidens capable of summoning thunderstorm supercells when they engage in aforementioned sexual activity.” She was not smiling. “Learn to control yourself, Miss Nikos.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And be careful not to spill that, Mister Arc.” Glynda turned on one heel and began walking back towards campus. Once her back was turned and she felt like she was safely hidden by the woods, she started shaking with suppressed laughter. “Ah, to be young again,” she murmured. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Pyrrha and Jaune. If anyone deserves a happy ending (no pun intended), it's them.
> 
> A bad guy chapter next, then the last chapter. Just what has Salem been up to?


	43. Epilogue 4: Where Have All the Flowers Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Summer learns what Salem's been up to, she goes to visit the witch, to check up on her and find out what she's been up to. 
> 
> But Summer isn't the only visitor Salem is about to get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! We're finally here at the end. I think it's a good bookend that the story began with Summer and Salem, and it'll end that way too.

_City of Mantle_

_Kingdom of Atlas, World of Remnant_

_Three Months Later_

Summer Rose walked down the street. Mantle hadn’t changed much since she’d been here a year ago— _make that 14 years ago,_ she corrected herself. It was still dim even during the daytime, the sun blotted out by the mass of Atlas hovering nearly overhead. Mantle could be a rough town, even when patrolled by Atlesian security—or because of it—but Summer wasn’t worried. Even four months pregnant, she still had the easy gait of a Huntress. That and the newly-forged staff, Red Shift, kept would-be muggers away from her, though this part of town, at least, was not known for high crime. If it was, Tai would have never let her come here alone.

A young Faunus nearly collided with her, both hands and their intention on their Scroll. Summer easily sidestepped him, and he looked up. “Oh, sorry.” Then he went back to his game. She glanced at it. _Angry Grimm Crush,_ she thought. It was the latest fad to sweep across Remnant; Ruby was addicted to it as well. It was a downloadable game app for Scrolls, and players could download—for a fee—power-ups and additional levels. Summer saw little interest herself, but this Arthur Watts was a genius for having developed it…even if he was definitely on the shady side. She’d learned from Ironwood that Watts had been granted a full pardon for any and all crimes committed while part of Salem’s faction, but while _Angry Grimm Crush_ might drive parents nuts and make Watts a wealthy man, there was nothing illegal about it. 

Finally, Summer reached her destination. It was a small shop with a glass front, just off the main boulevard of Mantle. Flowers decorated the windows. Above it, outlined in neon, was the name: _The Lady in the Tower Flower and Novelty Shop._

Summer walked in, a small bell giving a pleasant tinkle as she did so.

Immediately, her nostrils were filled with the pleasant scent of flowers. The shop was filled with shelves of them, as well as assorted knicknacks for backyards and flower beds. “Good afternoon,” a voice said, and Summer turned to see Salem.

Or at least she _thought_ it was Salem. The hair was blonde rather than gray, the skin merely pale instead of white, and the eyes an icy blue rather than red. She was wearing a red-trimmed black cloak, otherwise Summer might have wondered if Qrow’s information was off. “Oh,” the woman said, “it’s you. Hello, Summer Rose.” And the façade dropped, the features changing to the now-familiar bone-white skin, blood red eyes, and grayish hair. “Glad it’s you. Sometimes holding that illusion can be difficult.”

“Hello, Salem.” It still amazed Summer that she was speaking cordially with someone who, a few short months ago, she’d done her level best to annihilate. 

“What brings you into my humble establishment?”

“Curiosity, mainly.” Summer ran her fingers across a bouquet of white roses. “When Qrow told me you were quietly running a flower shop in Mantle…”

“I suppose it seems bizarre, but it’s been very…soothing,” Salem finished. “Getting up every morning to open the store. Managing money. Making orders. Greeting customers. After centuries of sitting around with nothing to do but think of nefarious plans to kill Ozpin and end the world…” Salem laughed. “There are times I wonder if all of that was due to simple boredom.”

“I imagine being immortal would be boring very quickly.”

“It loses its flavor after awhile,” Salem admitted with a smile. Then, as Summer turned to look a a garden Grimm, Salem noticed the slight bulge in the other woman’s abdomen. “Summer Rose…you are pregnant?”

Summer nodded happily. “Mm-hm. About four months along now. Past the morning sickness phase, now into the weird hormone swings and craving weird food portion. I had carrots and peanut butter brittle last night.”

Salem laughed. “Oh yes! I have been there. Four times, actually.” 

“I forget you were a mother.”

“Yes…once.” Salem hesitated for a moment, then motioned Summer into the back room. With some trepidation, the Huntress followed, her hand going involuntarily to the weapon holstered at the small of her back. They went through a small storage room, then through a curtain of beads, into a small apartment. Summer wasn’t surprised to see it decorated in mostly purple—Salem seemed to prefer that color—nor that it didn’t have a lot of ambient light. Lamps provided barely enough light, but Salem stopped in front of a painting. The edges were worn with age, but the painting itself was still bright enough. It showed four children, all with blonde hair done in various styles. Behind them was a smiling Salem and a man who looked very much like Ozpin, though his hair was more blonde than gray, and the features were more heroic. “Your family,” Summer said, thought it was a fairly obvious statement. In passing, she noticed one of the little girls had silver eyes.

“Yes,” Salem repeated, gazing at the painting. “A very long time ago.”

“You’d mentioned them before. Your children, I mean.”

“And how they died in the crossfire of a magical battle between myself and Ozma. He tried to take them from me, he was afraid of my growing power, he didn’t want to rule the humans, but govern, and—“ Salem’s voice was rising, and she stopped herself. “Well. You know the story. But Ozpin is right, as much as I hate to admit it. Ozma didn’t kill my children. _Both_ of us did.” Salem touched the painting. “Strange that it took me so long to finally realize that.”

She took a seat, and motioned Summer to one. “So this, Summer…this is my attempt at recreating a normal life. No plans, no creating Grimm—though they’re almost certainly creating themselves—no henchmen, none of that. Just a single woman, running her small business. It may seem hopelessly boring to those whose day to day lives are exactly that, but…” Salem smiled. “To me, it’s a wonderful change of pace. Enough that I think I want to try it for the next twelve and a half years.”

“I think I understand,” Summer said.

“Oh?”

“I’m not a Huntress anymore.” She withdrew her weapon and set it aside as she sat. “Staff/rifle nonwithstanding. When I was pregnant with Ruby, I did a few missions here and there in my first trimester, but this time, I haven’t done anything but offer a few classes at Signal and putter around the house. I’ll admit I miss the excitement of dueling Grimm, but it’s weird. I don’t miss it that much. Some days it’s just enough excitement to sweep the floors.” Summer chuckled. “And watch that guy on TV who claims he can tame Grimm.”

“Oh, I’ve watched him as well. What a train wreck! He’s going to get himself killed.” Salem sighed. “But I suppose it is a sort of freedom to be able to do stupid things.”

“Have you been using magic?” Summer asked.

“Certainly, but no dark magic.” Salem thought for a moment. “All right. Very _little_ dark magic. I’ll make no apologies about what I did to those two fools who broke into my shop.”

“And do you…have anyone?” Summer couldn’t help but ask. After all, it had been what had started all of this. Almost all of it.

Salem shook her head with a smile. “No, I’m afraid not. I don’t even know where to begin. Or even if I want someone in my life.”

Summer shrugged. “Maybe you should try it. You said you were wondering if a lot of this was due to boredom. You might’ve been lonely, too.”

“There were lovers,” Salem said.

“Yeah, one-night stands and such, I bet.” Summer smiled. “My husband would say that’s not loving, that’s fucking. Sure, it’s fun, but there’s nothing behind it. There’s nothing there. You’d be better off using your fingers. Salem, I’m talking about a _relationship._ Maybe not even sex! Just a friend.”

Salem was silent for a few minutes. “Summer…are you…my friend?”

Summer was quiet for a few minutes as well. “I guess so. I mean, I came to Mantle basically just to see how you were getting along, and that’s what friends do. So…yes?”

Salem leaned back in her chair. “Do you know how long it has been since I had a friend, Summer? Not a henchman. Not a servant. A friend.”

“I can’t imagine how long, but I bet that’s part of your problem.” Summer adjusted herself in the chair. The baby wasn’t that much of a burden yet, but it was still there. “Salem, I’m going to be honest with you. As a friend. You were always going to lose this war. As long as love and friendship stood against you…you were always going to lose.”

Salem stared at her, and Summer could not meet those red eyes. The other woman was still an undead witch, after all, capable of leveling Mantle if she felt the need. But then the red eyes softened. “I suppose you are right.”

They were silent again, mainly because Salem was suddenly lost in thought, and Summer didn’t know what exactly to say. Unable to think of anything else, she said, “Well, you could try online dating. My husband tried that when I was…gone. He never had any luck with it, but maybe it would be a place to start.” Summer shrugged. “Or just head down to the local coffee shop. With your looks, I bet some guy would come to talk to you.”

“That sounds interesting.” Salem got to her feet. “Though there’s plenty of scum out there. I reserve the right to at least maim some of those.”

“I’d say don’t do that, but given that I’ve wanted to do the same to some of the jerks I’ve met out there, I’d be a big hypocrite.” Summer slowly got up. “Man, I’m only four months along and I’m _already_ having trouble.”

Salem’s smile was wistful. “That part I don’t miss. Four times, seeing my figure go to hell.”

“You know it. Worth it, though.” Summer looked at the painting one more time. “Not a lot of gap here between kids. Didn’t you and Ozma believe in birth control?”

Salem burst into laughter. It wasn’t just the little chuckle, or somewhat dark laughter Summer had heard, but true mirth. It went on for awhile as well, until Salem was wiping tears from her eyes. “We had so much trouble even conceiving our first! Not as much trouble afterwards.” The two mothers went quiet again, staring at the painting, and Salem found herself looking again at Summer's pregnant belly. She reached out a hand, then stopped herself short.

“You can touch,” Summer said, though inwardly she recoiled at the thought.

“No…that’s all right.” Salem withdrew her hand. Summer obviously was uncomfortable with it. Moreover, Salem’s magic wasn’t always voluntary. 

“Well…I should be going. It’s not because of you or anything, it’s—“

Salem waved it off. “Summer, I understand. However…” Salem held up a finger. “I require a boon.”

“A what?”

“A…favor.”

Summer involuntarily swallowed. There were a lot of stories that started like this, and they never ended particularly well. “Um…what?”

Salem crooked her finger, and Summer followed her back into the main store area. The witch motioned around. “Buy something, will you?”

Summer laughed. “Sure. Can you suggest something for a garden? Not a Grimm.”

“Understandable. I do have these attractive gnomes.” Summer bought one, and a bouquet of flowers that she thought Raven Branwen might enjoy; despite being a tough girl, Raven oddly enough liked flowers. After Summer left the shop, it was three blocks before she realized something else about Salem.

The black veins in her arms and face were gone.

That night, Salem slept. Although she technically still didn’t need to sleep, she’d begun doing so more often, finding that it refreshed her for the next day. Sometimes she dreamed, but most times not.

This time, however, Salem woke up in a room of entirely white. It was featureless, and had she not felt the sensation of touching something, she wouldn’t even know she was lying on a floor. Slowly, she sat up. She looked down to find herself naked. That was not quite as interesting as the fact that she was human again—pale skin, blonde hair. _This is strange,_ she thought. She’d had dreams where she was back to her old self before, but never quite like this. She could even feel her heart beating.

“That’s because this isn’t entirely a dream.”

Salem turned. Standing in front of her was a golden figure—almost featureless, with just the hint of musculature and facial features, and antlers weaved above his head. He seemed to glow from within, and his hands were clasped behind his back as he stared down at her. “The Good Brother,” she said. “The God of Light.”

“Hello, Salem. It has indeed been awhile.” The same pleasant, rumbling voice that seemed to mock her.

She stood. “Why am I naked?” Suddenly she was wearing her white robes again, the outfit she’d worn the day Ozma had rescued her from the tower. “That’s better.”

“I see time has not changed your tongue.” He cocked his head to one side, inspecting her. “But something _has_ changed in you, Salem.”

Salem was, for a moment, filled with rage. She wanted to attack the god, knowing it was useless, but still wanting to scratch his silver eyes out. She wanted him to somehow hurt, to know the utter, devastating sorrow of losing the only man she’d ever loved, of losing her children, of the endless years of silence, loneliness, boredom, and hatred. And pain. But what would be the point? One, she could not hurt him. Two, what would be the endgame? She would still be Salem. He was not going to grant her the embrace of death. Her punishment would last as long as it took for the Brothers to return.

Unless…

“Am I dead?” she asked. It would explain the nothingness, and why she’d woken up naked in front of the God of Light.

“That, Salem, is a good question.” The Brother began to walk around her, his footsteps silent, hands still behind his back. “Have you learned the lesson of life and death? Why Ozma was taken from you, and why I could not return him to you?”

“What makes you think I have?” she shot back. 

“Your actions over the last few months. You spared Summer Rose 13 years ago, but even you did not know why. You told yourself, indeed convinced yourself, that it was to cause havoc with Ozpin and buy you some time to relax. And it did. But then you remembered what it was like to be merely human, and you loved it so much you have signed an armistice with Ozpin and are trying to create a normal life. But tell me, Salem…did you spare Summer because it was part of your endless war with Ozpin, or did you spare her because she was a mother like yourself, and perhaps, that spark of love for your children did not quite die, despite how much you tried to smother it?”

Salem, somewhat defiantly, put her hands behind her back and walked alongside the golden figure. He did not seem to mind. “I will always love my children. You know that.”

“And you will always love Ozma. Your war with his reincarnations was because he no longer loved you. You desired to destroy all because you could no longer have that love.”

Salem shrugged. “Hardly a secret…sir.” Given that he could probably do a lot more to her than just curse her with immortality, Salem decided that a little respect couldn’t hurt. 

“So perhaps your newfound desire for normalcy, and friendship, and all the other things of being merely human are because you have rediscovered that love, Salem. And you’ve seen it in Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long. As Taiyang told you, he lost Summer as well, but he did not demand she be brought back to him. He did not seek revenge, but understanding. And he accepted it, moved on, and raised his daughters.” The Brother stopped and looked at her. “Taiyang understands what is life and what is death, Salem.”

Salem looked back, with a smile on her face. “And if I say I do understand, you’ll allow me to die.”

The answer was simple. “Yes.”

“Tonight. Right now.”

“Certainly.”

“And Ozpin?”

The Brother nodded. “He will die when his time comes, and not reincarnate.”

“And we will be together again.”

“I don’t see why not.”

Salem’s smile broadened. “No.”

She wasn’t really sure if the God of Light had eyebrows, but she could have sworn they went up in surprise. “No?”

“No.” Salem stepped back and began walking around, twirling in place. “I don’t want to die. Not when I’ve rediscovered, as you said, what it’s like to live.” She opened her arms and laughed. “I want to live. I want to run my little flower shop. I want to go to a coffee shop and chat with strangers. I want to try this online dating thing. Maybe I even want to start a relationship, a true one, with a man not named Ozma.” Salem reached up and tore away the dress, leaving her naked again, and she danced. “And I want to skinny dip in the ocean, and make love, and do a thousand things that I, in my utter boredom, hatred, and stupidity didn’t allow myself to do.” She turned to the God of Light and bowed. “So what do you think about _that?”_

The Brother began to laugh. The laugh rebounded off the unseen walls. It was not an ironic laugh, or a mocking one, but genuine humor. He didn’t have a mouth, but Salem thought that maybe he was smiling. “I think, Salem, that it’s a wonderful idea.”

“Good.”

He stepped towards her again. “However, there is the matter of what you _did_ do before you came to this realization.”

“Setting myself up as a goddess?”

He shook his head. “The death of your children was sufficient punishment of that. No. Everything in the interim. The unleashing of Grimm, the deaths of thousands of Hunters and Huntresses. A sudden turn does not erase that debt.”

Salem nodded. “I understand.”

The God of Light did as well. “Therefore, you are still cursed with immortality. Ozpin shall still reincarnate, as a lesson to both of you. But perhaps, in the future…his reincarnation shall not be cursed with eternal war against you. And in that future, you and I…we shall revisit this topic, and make a final decision then.”

“When you and your Brother return to judge us.”

The God of Light folded his arms, and he was somehow smiling again. “Perhaps. Then again, while I can’t speak for my Brother in this, I’m having far too much fun watching what the world of Remnant does next.” He raised an arm and gently lowered it, and Salem felt herself being pulled off her feet, to lie down again. She felt the pull of sleep. “May I ask two questions before I wake up?” Salem asked sleepily.

“Go ahead.”

“The first: what would the world be like had I _not_ spared Summer Rose?”

The God of Light was silent for a long minute. “Many good people would die. Beacon Academy would have fallen. A new Fall Maiden would have arose, terrible and evil. The world would have become darker. Relics would have been found, changed hands, and stolen. Hearts would have broken, and friendships destroyed.” His voice was sad.

“And would I have won?”

“No, Salem. As Summer Rose told you, as long as love and friendship stood strong, even in the darkest of hours, you would have still failed.”

Salem yawned. “Second—“

“That is three questions. But continue,” the God of Light said, sounding amused again.

“All right. Third: will Summer Rose have a boy or a girl?”

The God of Light laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, Salem. You don’t get to see those cards.”

And then Salem fell asleep, with a smile on her face. 

And awoke, back in her small bed in her apartment at Mantle. She sat up, remembering the dream. Or was it a dream? 

It didn’t matter.

Salem got out of bed, got dressed, and walked out her front door, locking the door behind her. Her store didn’t need to open for another hour or so. Mantle was beginning to wake up as well, the sun rising behind Atlas. No one bothered the tall blonde woman; part of her had hoped the God of Light would’ve restored her beauty as a parting gift, but no—she still had to maintain the illusion. Salem understood: it was part of her penance.

She walked into the corner coffee shop. She’d never been in there before. A bored, sleepy female Faunus behind the register perked up marginally as she walked in. “Hello,” the Faunus said. “Welcome to Rude Awakening. What can I get for you?”

Salem looked at the menu. “A cup of coffee, please—black as night. And a scone. Oh, and I’ll take a newspaper.” Most people got their news from their Scrolls nowadays, but Salem was old-fashioned, and liked to feel paper beneath her fingers. She paid with some lien from her purse—lien she’d earned, not conjured, which made it feel better somehow—then sat down at the window. The coffee and scone were brought to her, and she sipped at it while she read the newspaper. The headline read, _Tyrian Callows Trial to Begin Tomorrow._

Salem smiled. Ironwood was keeping his promise…and Tyrian was keeping his, given to Salem, his goddess, months ago. Tyrian had turned himself in, returned to prison, and pleaded guilty to all of his crimes, in exchange for life behind bars rather than death. Salem had gotten this promise from him by telling him to wait. One day, Salem promised then, she would come again for Tyrian Callows.

Tyrian would wait until he died, patiently, for a visit that would never come.

She flipped the page, smiling wider as she saw Arthur Watts was suing Pietro Polendina over the rights to the Paladin Project. He’d lose in the courts, of course, but it would hardly damage his reputation, which was already poor, or his bank account, which was increasingly great. Salem stared out the window for a moment, at Atlas floating above. Watts was going to conquer with Scroll apps and wealth what he would’ve never conquered with Salem.

The bell rang and she instinctively turned towards the door, as she would at the shop, and… _oh my,_ Salem thought to herself, _but that’s a strapping lad._

He was tall, with brown hair combed back, cropped in military fashion. Even under the custom Atlesian military uniform, Salem could tell he was muscular, in great shape. She admired his graceful walk as he went to the register and ordered coffee. The female Faunus was instantly smitten, her tail wagging involuntarily. He went to reach for his wallet, but he suddenly froze. “Uh-oh,” he said, with a winning grin, “I think I forgot my wallet.”

The Faunus opened her mouth, clearly about to say that it was on the house, but Salem had anticipated that. She raised a ten-lien note. “I’ll pay for the gentleman’s coffee. And another scone, as well.” The Faunus didn’t do a good job disgusing her anger, but took the money and delivered both coffee and scone.

The tall man sat at Salem’s table, as she folded the paper and set it aside. “Thank you, Miss?”

“Salem,” she replied. “And you are?”

He held out a hand. “Clover Ebi.”

She took it and gave it a single shake. “Lucky I was here to pay for your breakfast, Mr. Ebi.”

Clover laughed. “I’ve always been lucky.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end...
> 
> ...nah, not yet. Some of you have demanded I do a time skip to see how things are in another 13-15 years, so...why not? Hopefully this doesn't turn into another 40-chapter story...


	44. Epilogue 5: Time Stand Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been 15 years since Summer Rose returned and Remnant achieved a peace with Salem. Team RWBY has had new challenges, new adventures, and now faces one of the greatest challenges of all: getting older. And when Raven calls Yang and Blake to her bedside, does she have a confession to make? On the first day of Beacon Academy, what new faces will there be? 
> 
> And it's been 15 years of peace, not 13. Can Salem still not count?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are, folks: the end of "Sunshine and Summertime." It has been one hell of a ride. Quite the ways from the simple four-chapter story of Summer's return, inspired by a single chapter of "Love Hurts," done as a challenge from a friend of mine. But this has been a lot of fun to write, and it's been a pleasure to read all the wonderful reviews I've gotten on the story. You folks have kept me going through a pretty rough time.
> 
> What's next? Well, I intend to finish the Beacon arc of "On RWBY Wings," and then probably continue that on into Season 4 territory. Hope some of you will give that story a try. And I'll will be doing more "Love Hurts" (and in fact could use some story ideas besides "The Lusty Adventures of Blake and Yang"--so if you have 'em, I'll look at them). Lots of RWBY goodness as long as I can keep the creative juices flowing.

_Branwen Tribe Encampment_

_Kingdom of Mistral, World of Remnant_

_15 Years Later_

“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Blake Belladonna asked Yang Xiao Long, for the tenth time. The Bullhead was getting closer to the tops of the trees in the dense forest. 

Yang stood in the open hatchway of the Bullhead. “Blakey!” she said, annoyed. “Yes, I’ll be fine! Again! The tribe knows I’m coming to see Raven.” 

“Don’t call me ‘Blakey’ in front of my troops!” Blake told her, barely audible over the Bullhead’s engines. She thumbed back to the squad of armored troopers in the Bullhead’s cabin, each wearing white White Fang jerkins. “I have to lead these people, you know.”

“Oh, sorry, _High Leader,_ ” Yang grinned, with an ironic bow. “I’ll be fine, High Leader. Would you like me to bring back a souvenir, High Leader?” She licked her lips suggestively. “Kiss your ass, High Leader?”

Blake turned red and her ears flattened back. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”

“Only when I wear the strap-on.” The Bullhead was over the clearing, and the wings rotated upwards as it slowed to a hover. “See ya in a few hours, Blakey!” Then Yang was out the door, letting out a whoop as she fell the hundred feet to the ground, landing in a puff of dust.

“Oh, hell.” Blake turned to the White Fang. “Yuma, go to the rendezvous point and radio me in three hours. Hopefully we’ll need a pickup then.” She braced herself against the hatch.

“But High Leader!” the bat Faunus protested.

“That’s an order, soldier! I’ll be fine.” Blake jumped out as well, before her troops could talk her out of it. There was the brief experience of freefall, then Blake landed and rolled, taking most of the force out of the landing. She came up on her feet, and looked down at the white cape of her uniform. It was stained with the red dirt of Mistral now. Yang stared at her, that maddening grin still on her face, flexing her left hand. It was yellow and black, steel and plastic instead of flesh. It was also skewed at an odd angle. “I knew you couldn’t resist, Blake.”

“Someone got to keep your big ass out of trouble,” Blake said, dusting herself off. “What happened to your hand?”

“Landed wrong. That’s what I get for not using Ember Celica.” She popped the hand back into place. “And I do _not_ have a big ass.”

“Whatever, Miss Midnight Snack. And if you’d used Ember Celica instead of trying to punch that Wyvern in the mouth three years ago, you wouldn’t have that steel hand, either.”

“Meh!” Yang laughed. “The vibration function comes in handy now and then, as you know.” She looked around the clearing. “Oh, by the way. We’re surrounded.”

“I hear them.” Blake casually put one hand on Gambol Shroud. A group of rather scruffy looking humans and Faunus walked from the woods, various weapons in their hands. They stopped about halfway out of the treeline, and one, an androgynous fighter with twin pistols and crescent blades, came forward. “Miss Xiao Long,” she greeted her. 

“’Sup, Vernal?” Yang returned.

Vernal inclined her head towards Blake. “High Leader Belladonna. We were told to expect just Miss Xiao Long, but you are her teammate, yes?”

“Yes,” Blake answered.

“Very well. You will be welcome. Follow us.” She motioned the two Huntresses to follow her. The tribal warriors fell in around them, in a loose circle. Yang decided not to take offense. The Branwen Tribe was still very much a band of criminals, who would steal anything not nailed down, and occasionally resorted to armed robbery. About the only concession Raven had made to the Peace was to stop killing people except in self-defense. Yang half-expected them to blindfold herself and Blake—both of them were licensed Huntresses, after all, with legal enforcement powers, and Blake’s White Fang were the special forces of Menagerie's military. When they reached the Branwen encampment, however, Yang saw why: the tents were already being pulled down. The tribe was about to move, though they were doing so at a leisurely pace. Yang knew the tribe could break down for movement in an hour or less.

Vernal dismissed the warriors, and led Yang and Blake to the largest tent in the camp, what Yang knew was Raven’s. Vernal holstered her weapons, and turned to the two Huntresses. “I didn’t want to say it in front of the others,” she said. Then her lower lip started trembling. “Chieftess Branwen…Raven…is dying.”

Yang went pale, and Blake covered her mouth in shock. “What?” Yang whispered.

“Yes,” Vernal said, trying to compose herself, “it is a sad day. We have sent notification to her brother Qrow in Atlas, but we doubt it will get to him in time.” Vernal took Yang’s hands. “Please, Miss Xiao Long. Time is short. Raven said she wanted to see you one last time…and pass on something very important.”

“Oh my gods,” Yang said. She pushed past Vernal to the tent’s opening and threw it back, Blake right behind. The tent was large enough to be divided into a vestibule, where Raven did business, and the larger bedroom behind. Yang walked into the bedroom, which was dimly lit by small electric lamps. 

Raven lay in bed, her skin waxy-looking, her eyes closed, hands at her side. She opened her eyes and looked around. “Who is that? Who’s there?”

“Raven, it’s me…Yang.” Even now, Yang could not bring herself to call her biological mother anything but her first name. They had grown closer over the years, but still, Yang saw Raven about twice a year, no more than three. It was just Raven’s way. She was on the move a lot—one step ahead of the law—and Yang was busy being a Huntress. But now Yang wished for more time.

“Yang? Daughter?” Raven waved her forward. “I’m sorry…I can’t see you.”

Yang rushed forward, and took her mother’s hand. It seemed limp, not all the strong grip she was used to. Her mother seemed old, which was even more disconcerting: the years had been kind to Raven, and only the increasing amount of gray in the thick black hair gave away that she was well into her forties. Raven’s head came around unsteadily, and she used her free hand to touch Yang’s face. “Oh…daughter. You’re here. I can’t see you very well. It’s so dark, Yang.” She sensed someone else in the room. “Who is that with you?”

“Blake Belladonna, Chieftess Branwen.”

“Ah! Blake. Come closer, child. And call me Raven. Titles don’t matter much at…at times like these.” Raven coughed. "I'm...so sorry, Yang."

“Raven!” Yang cried, tears in her eyes. She couldn’t lose her. Not now. There was still too much to be said. “What happened?”

Raven was silent for a moment, then seemed to remember where she was. “A Goliath…a big one. Hit the camp two days ago. Never seen anything like it. Even my…Maiden powers couldn’t stop it. Hit me like a train.” Her fingers lingered over her stomach. “Broke everything inside.” She coughed again. “Oh gods, Yang. I’m so cold.” 

Yang scrambled to tuck the covers higher on Raven. Raven gripped her arms. “Yang. Come closer. You…you need to know something.” Her eyes fluttered. Yang leaned close to her mother. Raven struggled to raise her head. “Yang…”

“I’m right here, Ra…I’m right here, Mom,” Yang corrected. Raven deserved to hear that word, one more time.

Raven whispered in her ear. “Yang…you should see the look on your face.” Yang’s eyes widened, and Raven burst into laughter. “Oh gods!” she screamed in mirth. “Oh, you’re so gullible! Both of you!” Raven slapped the bed. “Hey, Vernal! Get in here! They fell for it!”

Vernal walked into the bedroom, snickering, and turned the lamps onto a higher setting. “Well, I did my best, Chieftess.”

“You…you mean…” Yang stammered. “You mean…this is a _joke?”_

Raven winced as she sat up in the bed. “Ow. Not entirely. A Goliath really did hit the camp two days ago, and being the dumb bitch that I am, I tried to stop it with my bare hands. I killed the fucker, but he did manage to break my leg in three places. But I’m okay otherwise.” She grinned at her daughter and Blake. “Vernal and I thought of this just to scare you two.”

Yang’s eyes were turning a bit red. “Raven! That’s low, even for you!” She dried her eyes. “Godsdammit…you scared the shit out of me!”

“ _And_ me,” Blake added.

Raven rolled her eyes. “Oh come on. I thought I hit every cliché there was. ‘I’m so cold,’ and ‘it’s so dark’? Gad. You of all people, Blake, with your taste in literature should’ve known I was full of shit. I should know.” She reached under the covers and held up _Ninjas of Love XXIII: Daughters of Kunoichi._

Blake leaned forward. “You _got_ that? It’s not even in stores yet!"

“Let’s just say I have an arrangement with the distributor.” Raven didn’t want to mention the arrangement was that she’d hijacked the first shipment to come to Mistral. She turned to Yang, who was still fuming. “Oh, come on! It was a joke! I've always wanted to do a good death scene.”

Yang suddenly flung herself at Raven, and hugged her. “Dammit, you bitch…that wasn’t fair…gods, Raven, I still love you…”

Now Raven felt like a heel. She reached up and stroked Yang’s hair. “Okay, okay…gods, stop blubbering into my shoulder. I’m sorry. Really.”

“ _I_ thought it was hilarious,” Vernal put in, but got a fiery Yang stare in return, and beat a hasty retreat.

When Yang had pulled back from the hug, Raven put her hands on Yang’s. The metal one still bothered her, even if it had long since stopped bothering Yang. “Well, maybe now you’ll visit more than twice a year.” She looked past Yang to Blake. “And how are you, Blake? We’ve been hearing good things up here about how you’ve reformed the White Fang. Of course, I shouldn’t be thanking you—we’ve already had to avoid the southern Mistrali coast because of your patrols.”

“Well, you _are_ thieves,” Blake said.

“And damn good ones. Still, shame old Sienna Khan can’t see the White Fang now! The elite arm of the Menagerie military! Even old Jacques would have to sit up and take notice.” Raven shrugged. “If they weren’t busy being dead, of course. Funny they would both end up the same way—at the end of a noose.” Blake didn’t reply. Sienna had been sentenced to death fifteen years ago for her actions as High Leader of the White Fang—the only time a sentence of death had been carried out on Menagerie. At the time, they’d feared she’d become a martyr, but instead Sienna had what she would have considered the cruelest fate of all: she was forgotten. A new generation of Faunus were growing up without having heard the name Sienna Khan.

As for Jacques Schnee, no one knew why he’d chosen to hang himself in his office. Or why it looked as if there had been a struggle to get him into the noose. 

“And how are you two getting along?” Raven asked.

Yang and Blake looked at each other. “We’re…us,” Yang said after a bit of silence.

“Still not sure you two are in love with each other?” Raven teased. “Wish you’d make up your minds. Fifteen years, you two.”

“What’s wrong with an open relationship?” Yang asked.

“It’s rarely actually open,” Raven answered. She motioned around the bedroom. “Though I’m a damned old hypocrite for saying so.”

Yang exchanged a glance with Blake. Theirs _was_ an open relationship. Neither were committed to anyone else; both took lovers. Blake occasionally hooked up with Sun Wukong, sometimes Yuma, once with Ilia Amitola, though the experience had left both disappointed; Ilia's dream Blake could not be matched by the real thing. Yang also had lovers, though not as much as she liked to brag. And yet they always came back to each other. “You’re not just saying that because you want grandchildren?” Yang said to Raven. “Because Mom is always bugging me about that.”

“Ugh. No. The last thing I want is to be called grandma. Bad enough to be reminded I’m middle-aged every time I look in a mirror.” Raven sighed. “And that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Yang. The real reason I invited you here, besides the fact that you don’t ever visit.” She looked up at the canopied ceiling of her tent. “Yang, it pains me to admit it, but that Goliath really did bust me up. My Maiden powers handled it, but there for an hour, it was touch and go. I really _was_ cold. I thought that was it. And all I could think of was you.” She shook a finger in Yang’s face. “Now before you get all weepy and shit, it wasn’t just because you’re my blood and, in my own fucked up way, I love you. It’s because when I do finally kick off, you’re going to be the next Spring Maiden, Yang.”

“Me?” Yang pointed to herself.

“Duh,” Blake said. “The Maiden powers go to whoever the Maiden is thinking of when she dies, Yang. Remember Pyrrha telling us about Amber? It stands to reason.”

“I _want_ you to be the last person I think of, Yang.” Raven brushed a hand through her daughter’s blond locks. So much like her, and so much unlike her. Summer had been right: she and Tai really had made a beautiful baby so long ago. “I want the power to go to someone responsible.”

“But me? I’m lucky if I get my shit together before noon!” Yang protested.

“Then you take after me,” Raven grinned. She waved at Blake. “Get some tea going, Blake. Yang, let’s talk about how much fun it is to be the Spring Maiden.”

_Beacon Academy_

_Kingdom of Vale, World of Remnant_

_The Next Day_

“Ruby, you really didn’t have to do this.”

“I didn’t have to, but I wanted to,” Ruby smiled. “I remember how rough the first day is. And since Mom and Dad couldn’t make the trip, well, let big sister do it.”

“Emphasis on big.” 

Ruby ran a hand over her belly. On her still somewhat diminuitive frame, even five months along made her look like she’d devoured a chicken franchise. “Don’t be a little bitch, Jade.”

Jade Rose-Xiao Long rolled her eyes at her sister. “I’m hardly little, Ruby.” This was true. While Ruby, much to her chagrin, had stopped growing when she hit 5’6”, Jade clearly inherited her father’s height and the Xiao Long figure: though she was just shy of sixteen, Jade was an early bloomer. She’d gotten Summer’s dark hair, but neither Tai’s blue nor Summer’s silver eyes: Jade was named for the bright sea-green of her eyes, a recessive gene from Summer’s side—or so Weiss thought, anyway.

Looking at her, Ruby understood how so many mistook Jade for Ruby’s niece, rather than her sister. _Poor Dad,_ Ruby thought with a smile, _he was so disappointed that Jade turned out to be another little girl._ Tai’s disappointment hadn’t lasted long, though, and he raised Jade with all the love he’d raised Yang and Ruby with. Though this time it had been a lot easier. 

Ruby felt her eyes getting misty. Summer had finally gotten to do all the things she’d missed with Ruby and Yang: the first day of school, the first crush, the first dance, the first everything. Jade had been a hellraiser, moreso than Yang or Ruby, but the three sisters loved each other—and Ruby had certainly been happy to have a little sister, even if there were almost 17 years between them. At first, Jade had been her own personal dress-up doll, then the annoying little tagalong who wanted to play with Crescent Rose, then her best friend--outside of Yang, of course. 

“Good morning, Professor Rose!” The two sisters turned at the booming voice of Peter Port. He waved towards them. Other than slowing down a bit and gaining a bit more weight, Port hadn’t changed since Team RWBY were students at Beacon. Ruby waved, and Jade soured. “See, this is what I mean!” she said grumpily. “Everyone knows you’re my sister, Ruby! ‘Least those who don’t think you’re my aunt or my mom or something. And you’re a prof here now!” She threw her hands up in the air and began walking down the long path to the academy’s entrance.

“If you think you’re going to get special treatment,” Ruby chortled, “you’re in for a big old surprise.” She scooped up a rock and threw it at the back of her sister’s head. “Think fast, Jade!”

Jade whirled, yelped, and threw up a hand. The rock slowed and stopped in midair, but Jade still stumbled backwards—and promptly fell over a pile of luggage. She let loose a flood of obscenity.

“Well, now. This looks familiar.” 

Ruby laughed softly and turned to the person who had walked up next to her. “Hey, Weiss.”

“Hey, Ruby.” They high-fived each other as someone behind them yelled “What the _hell?!”_ and ran forward, grabbing the luggage. “Dammit, Jade!” he yelled. “You klutz!”

“Oh, stuff it, Al!” Jade shot back. “It’s your fault, leaving out your shit everywhere! Don’t you Schnees know how to travel light?”

“You’re right. It _does_ look familiar,” Ruby said. “Though at least Jade hasn’t blown Al up.”

“Yet.” Weiss smiled at the memory. “Crater Face.” 

Ruby snorted. “Whatever, Weissy.” They grinned at each other. “I’m glad Al decided to come to Beacon, though. Jade probably would like to have someone she knows.”

Weiss nodded. Alabaster Schnee—Al to everyone except his parents when he acted up—had Weiss’ silver hair, but his father Neptune’s build. He’d been a surprise, but Neptune had done the honorable thing and married Weiss, though she’d kept the Schnee name. What everyone had wondered would last more than nine months had deepened to genuine love, and Weiss and Neptune were due to celebrate their 14th anniversary soon. “Where _is_ Neptune?” Ruby asked.

“Parking the car. He’ll be along. Whitley’s here, too.”

“Oh yeah? How’s he doing?” Ruby was glad to hear it. Weiss and her little brother had reconciled after too many years apart.

“Better now. He was very sick for awhile, but he’s made a full recovery—and so has the SDC, thanks to Mother taking over while Whitley was ill.” Weiss shook her head. “Mother always did have a strong head for numbers when she was sober. Hopefully it’ll take this time. She’s been dry for a year now.”

“That’s progress.” Ruby held back a laugh as Jade and Al extricated themselves from the luggage with more swearing and backbiting. 

“He’s also making Al the heir to the company,” Weiss said. “I’d rather he didn’t—you know the hell I went through here being the heiress—but there’s really no one else. Whitley’s been dating Penny Polendina since he got out of the hospital, and Winter can’t have children with Qrow.”

“Not after she became the Winter Maiden, no.” That reminded Ruby of something. “Yang and Blake said they’d try to make it. They went to go see Raven yesterday. Apparently she played a nasty trick on them—made Yang think she was dying.”

“That sounds like Raven,” Weiss sighed. “That would make Yang the Spring Maiden if something did happen to her, though.” She blew out a breath. “Hard to believe there’s a possibility that we’ll end up knowing three of the four Maidens.” The Summer Maiden had never been found; Pyrrha and Jaune had looked for years. Whoever it was continued to be Remnant’s best kept secret. She glanced down at Ruby’s swollen belly. “Where’s Oscar?”

“Right behind you!” Oscar ran up the stairs. “The parking lot is a madhouse! Everyone is there.”

“I told you to use the professors’ parking,” Ruby said. 

“It _was_ the professors’ parking. I think everyone tried to get here at the same time.” 

She pointed to her lips. “Kiss, please.” Oscar happily complied, then ran his hand over her stomach. He still couldn’t believe he was going to be a father. It had taken them so long to conceive. “I love you, Mrs. Pine,” he blurted. She’d taken his name when they’d married twelve years ago, though professionally she’d kept her maiden name, mainly because everyone couldn't get used to Ruby Pine.

“I love you, Mr. Pine,” Ruby replied. “And if there weren’t all these people around, I’d show you how _much_ I love you.”

“Eww.” Weiss stuck out her tongue.

“What? You know what pregnancy hormones are like.”

They turned at the sound of an airship landing on the academy pad. It wore White Fang sigils—a stylized panther’s head, but no claw marks. The door opened as the engines whined down; a soldier stepped out, secured the stairway, and snapped to attention with a crisp salute as Blake stepped out. She returned the salute and strode down the ramp, Yang following just behind—Yang throwing the White Fang soldier a half-assed, toss of a salute. Blake, who looked somber and every inch the warrior in the tailored black and white uniform of the new White Fang, suddenly broke into a grin as she saw her friends. Yang ran to catch up to her, and Team RWBY met at the bottom of the ramp. 

Al had gotten his suitcases placed on a cart, with Jade’s help. He turned at the commotion behind him. “Well, there they are.”

Jade looked around his suitcases. “Huh. Yep. Team RWBY. The legends.” She used her fingers as quotation marks.

“Don’t be a big bitch,” Al told her. “They _are_ legends. My mom, your two sisters, your sister’s girlfriend…”

“More or less.” Jade leaned on the suitcases. “It’s just hard to see them as legends when you catch your big sister and her Faunus girlfriend going down on each other.” Al looked back at her in horror. “Oh, it gets grosser. They were in the mud. You know that cove we went fishing that time? Yuck.”

“I’m not sure if I’m turned on or grossed out. I think I’m going with grossed out. Why did you tell me that, Jade? You’re sick! How the heck can I eat dinner with them now?”

“Try not to think too hard about it.” Jade sighed. “I want to be a Huntress more than anything, Al. And there’s no question we’re going to be busy. You’ve got the Torchwick Gang out there, plus the Emercury Gang, the new Grimm mutations…even with this so-called Peace we have, it’s not safe out there.” She looked at Team RWBY wistfully. “I wonder if we’ll be legends someday.”

Ozpin stared down from the clock tower of Beacon. Even from this distance, he could see Team RWBY. Three teams, he mused to himself, three teams had made themselves legends at Beacon, the ones every student looked up to: RWBY, JNPR, and STRQ. They’d all done so much, achieved so much, fought so much. He was proud to have trained them all. He watched as Team RWBY began walking down the path: Ruby Rose, no longer the eager teenager with silver eyes he’d brought into Beacon early, now a respected professor. Weiss Schnee, formerly the Ice Queen, frosty and arrogant, now one of the leaders of the Atlas Council, although she’d given up all claims to the Schnee Dust Company. Blake Belladonna, once the shy, mysterious Faunus girl, now the commander of the White Fang. And Yang Xiao Long, who had changed the least: still the fiery, reckless, spirited Huntress that laughed at death and never cared about the odds. 

Team RWBY. Now and forever. They might have different paths now, towards military command, or political careers, or Huntress, or motherhood, but they still came together now and then when Remnant needed them. And despite the Peace, Remnant _had_ needed them. Salem had only been one threat—the greatest, to be sure, but still just one.

“Headmaster Ozpin?”

Ozpin turned to the tall Faunus with bright red hair, goatee and horns. He no longer wore a mask, but the brand of the SDC would be forever fixed over his left eye, and his right sleeve pinned up. This didn’t mean that Adam Taurus was no less deadly with the sword that now hung on his right hip. Ozpin had never known Adam when he had been the White Fang’s field commander, but he’d known his reputation—mainly through the testimony of his former girlfriend, Blake Belladonna. “Yes, Adam? I’m sorry, my mind wandered. It happens when you get older.”

Adam walked forward, and stared downwards. Ozpin watched him, but he gave only the briefest of starts when he saw Blake. “If there’s nothing else you need me for, I will go.”

“Adam, it’s been fifteen years. She’s forgiven you by now.”

“She may have,” Adam said. “But I haven’t forgiven myself.” He shook his head. “All those years alone, Headmaster Ozpin, then at the monastery. It taught me much. And the first lesson it taught me was to let the sleeping dogs lie. Blake, if she even thinks about me—and I hope she does not—believes I’m gone forever. Let it remain so.”

Ozpin reached out and put a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “There are always second chances, Adam.”

“Not for me, sir.” He turned to Ozpin. “I’ll slip out before she comes into the Academy.”

“Very well.” Ozpin hated to see Adam go, but he understood. Some wounds could never quite heal. “Adam?” he called out as the Faunus reached his office door. “Find her. Find Cinder. We must know.” Adam gave a short nod and left, closing the door behind him. Ozpin, with one last look at Team RWBY, walked back to his desk. 

“I thought he would _never_ leave.” There was a shimmer in the center of the office, where the gears of the great clock reflected on the floor. Salem materialized into place—no, Ozpin corrected, she simply dropped her cloak of invisibility. Naturally, she hadn’t changed any, other than the black veins that had once crisscrossed her body being long since gone. She still liked those black cloaks, he noted. 

“I am sorry to keep you waiting.” Ozpin sat down at his desk. She drifted over to the door. “You do realize this isn’t the best timing. The opening ceremony for Beacon is in an hour. These negotiations for another year’s peace can surely wait, Salem. Besides, we need to speak about Cinder.”

She locked the door and walked back to the desk, coming around the side. “Ozpin, Ozpin, Ozpin,” Salem chided with a smile. “After thousands of years, you and all other reincarnations of Ozma should have learned something.” She grabbed both arms of his chair and got into his face. “I… _always_ …get what I want, _when_ I want.”

He stared into those red eyes. Every year, there was a little more blue in them. “Most of the time,” he amended.

“Always.” Salem reached up, pulled down the shoulders of the cloak, and let it puddle around her feet. She was naked beneath it. “And now these negotiations shall commence, Ozpin.” She sat on the desk and let her thighs part, opening herself to him. “If you can get it up, old man. Or should I wait for your reincarnation?”

Ozpin stood and began unknotting his scarf. “Is the deal still six months of peace for every orgasm?”

Salem looked thoughtful. “I think this year it shall be _three_ months. So you’d better hop to it, Ozpin.”

He took off his jacket. “You did lock the door, I hope.”

She made motions with her fingers. “Now mage locked as well as physically locked. Goodwitch isn’t interrupting us _this_ year.”

_Salem’s Realm (Formerly)_

_Unknown Location, World of Remnant_

_Around the Same Time_

The castle was long abandoned. Without Salem’s magic to keep it up, it had fallen to ruin. The windows were long gone, the tapestries and furniture rotted, the battlements now little more than roosts for the Nevermores and Beringals that lived there.

The Grimm now ruled this land, with nothing to control them or stop them. But Grimm had existed on Remnant long before Salem had even been the Lady in the Tower, and they would long outlast her. If anything, with nothing to govern them, there were _more_ Grimm being birthed from the dank, tarry pools. Every day, dozens emerged, shook the blackness from their fur, and flew, crawled or walked towards the realms of men, the only instinct to rend and kill, with no masters but themselves, being born in darkness and committed to spread that darkness.

One pit, however, had lay dormant. No Grimm had birthed from there in fifteen years. It had been Salem’s, and even those Grimm no older than a day had some deep, imprinted command to leave it alone. It had been where she had created new Grimm, and created herself. The Grimm were still mutating, but they were no longer shaped by once-human, undead hands. Nothing had been shaped there.

Until now.

A white hand erupted from the pit, then a head. Coughing up the tar, the figure dragged itself from the pit. It too was naked, its skin the color of bone, except for the grayish scars that covered its left side and the black, clawed left arm. It stood at the edge of the pit, letting the liquid cleanse itself from it, revealing it to be a human female. Or what once was a human female.

She turned and looked into the pit. The tar pool quickly reassumed its former mirrorlike finish, and in the pale light of the shattered moon, Cinder Fall looked at her reflection with her one remaining eye—now blood red in a sea of darkness.

And she smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh.
> 
> Will I ever get back to this AU? I'd honestly like to, but I don't know if I could make lightning strike twice. Never say never, though.


End file.
